Lok Sabha Question No. 2936 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-04
Subject: Bauxite Mining
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH, MANSHANKAR NINAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2936

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.01.2018

## BAUXITE MINING

†2936  SHRI BHARAT SINGH, SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether bauxite is being explored in the notified areas of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the names of agencies roped in for this work;
- (c) the total quantum of bauxite mined across the country during the last three years, Statewise;
- (d) whether the Government has sought the opinion of the States in regard to conservation of Bauxite and if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
- (e) the measures taken by the Government to preserve Bauxite in future?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINES (SHRI HARIBHAI PARTHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

- (a) & (b) As per the information received from the States, the details of exploration of bauxite being undertaken  by various agencies are given in the following table:
- (c) State-wise production of bauxite is given in the following table:

|   S. No. | State        | Districts                                                        | Agencies carrying out exploration of bauxite                                                                       |
|----------|--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Chhattisgarh | Kabirdham, Surguja, Balrampur, Jashpur, Kanker and Kondagaon     | 1. Director Geology Mining , Chhattisgarh 2. Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited 3. Geological Survey of India |
|        2 | Jharkhand    | Gumla and Lohardaga                                              | 1. Directorate of Geology, Government of Jharkhand                                                                 |
|        3 | Odisha       | Koraput, Rayagada, and Kalahandi, Phulbani, Bolangir and Barharh | 1. Geological Survey of India 2. Mineral Corporation of India 3. Directorate of Geology, Odisha                    |
|        4 | Gujarat      | Porbandar                                                        | 1. Gujarat Mineral Development and Mineral Society                                                                 |

## State-wise production of Bauxite

(Quantity in tonnes)

| State          |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17(P) |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|--------------|
| India          |  22493671 |  28123789 |     24664632 |
| Chhattisgarh   |   1560784 |   1991455 |      1954233 |
| Goa            |    268500 |    163950 |            0 |
| Gujarat        |   5825628 |  10387092 |      5818467 |
| Jharkhand      |   2040519 |   2111227 |      2289825 |
| Karnataka      |    127500 |     12050 |          386 |
| Madhya Pradesh |    831899 |    684288 |       658375 |
| Maharashtra    |   2669408 |   1907543 |      1946042 |
| Orissa         |   9091061 |  10839038 |     11990035 |
| Tamil Nadu     |     78372 |     27146 |         7269 |

Source: MCDR Returns

(P): Provisional

- (d) & (e) The mining activities of major minerals including Bauxite, are regulated as per the provisions contained in Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 and the rules framed thereunder. The MMDR Act and the Rules thereunder have  been  framed  after wide consultation with all stakeholders, including State Governments. This is as per the pre-legislative consultative policy promulgated by the Ministry of Law & Justice.

Further, the measures for conservation of minerals, including bauxite are done as per  the  provisions  of  MMDR  Act,  1957  and  National  Mineral  Policy-2008,  which,  inter alia, states that conservation of mineral shall be construed not in the restrictive sense of abstinence  from  consumption  or  preservation  for  use  in  the  distant  future  but  as  a positive concept leading to augmentation of reserve base through improvement in mining methods,  beneficiation  and  utilisation  of  low  grade  ore  and  rejects  and  recovery  of associated minerals.

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