Lok Sabha Question No. 2377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-30
Subject: Reserves of Uranium And Thorium
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2377 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.11.2016

## RESERVES OF URANIUM AND THORIUM

## 2377.  SHRI RAOSAHEB DANVE PATIL:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether there are large reserves of uranium and thorium in the country which have not been utilised;
- (b) if so, the State-wise details thereof; and
- (c) the action taken/being taken by the Government to extract and utilize these vast reserves?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a) Yes, Sir.
- (b) The  Atomic  Minerals  Directorate  for  Exploration  and  Research  (AMD),  a constituent  unit  of  Department  of  Atomic  Energy  (DAE),  has  a  mandate  to identify and evaluate resources of atomic minerals including that of uranium and thorium in the  country.  During  the  last  six  and  half  decades,  AMD  has carried  out  survey  and  exploration  for  uranium  and  thorium  resources  in different states of the country and identified substantial resources. AMD has so far established 2,44,947 tonne (t) in situ U3O8 (2,07,715 t U) and about 1.07 million tonne (Mt)  ThO2 contained in 11.935 Mt monazite (mineral containing thorium and rare earths) as on October, 2016.  State-wise details of the uranium resource are given below:

| State          | Uranium reserves   | Uranium reserves   |
|----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
|                | U 3 O 8 (t)        | U (t)              |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1,18,852           | 1,00,786           |
| Telangana      | 18,550             | 15,731             |
| Jharkhand      | 64,392             | 54,604             |
| Meghalaya      | 23,040             | 19,538             |
| Rajasthan      | 9,421              | 7,989              |

| Karnataka        | 4,682    | 3,970    |
|------------------|----------|----------|
| Chhattisgarh     | 3,986    | 3,380    |
| Uttar Pradesh    | 785      | 666      |
| Uttarakhand      | 100      | 85       |
| Himachal Pradesh | 784      | 665      |
| Maharashtra      | 355      | 301      |
| Total            | 2,44,947 | 2,07,715 |

[1 t U3O8   = 0.848 t uranium metal (U)]

The total resource of monazite is contained in 128 deposits. State-wise details of in situ monazite resource is given below:

| State          |   No. of deposits |   Resource (Mt) |
|----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| Odisha         |                10 |           2.41  |
| Andhra Pradesh |                26 |           3.72  |
| Tamil Nadu     |                51 |           2.46  |
| Kerala         |                35 |           1.9   |
| West Bengal    |                 1 |           1.22  |
| Jharkhand      |                 1 |           0.22  |
| Maharashtra    |                 3 |           0.002 |
| Gujarat        |                 1 |           0.003 |
| Total          |               128 |          11.935 |

Monazite from these placer sands contains about 9-10% ThO2.

- (c) The  uranium  deposits  established  by  AMD  are  mined  and  processed  for recovery of uranium by Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), a Public Sector  Undertaking  (PSU)  of  Department  of  Atomic  Energy  (DAE).  The deposits at Jaduguda, Narwapahar, Bagjata, Bhatin, Banduhurang, Turamdih and  Mohuldih  in  Jharkhand  and  Tummalapalle  in  Andhra  Pradesh  are currently  under  commercial exploitation by UCIL. Mining at Gogi, Karnataka and  Rohil,  Rajasthan  are  at  exploratory  stage.  Efforts  are  being  made  to initiate exploitation of deposits at Lambapur-Peddagattu, Telangana and KPM (Domiasiat) and Wahkyn, Meghalaya.

Indian  Rare  Earths  Limited  (IREL),  a  PSU  under  DAE  has  been  producing monazite, a mineral containing thorium, from its mining and mineral separation  plants  located  at  Chavara,  Kerala,  Manavalakurichi,  Tamil  Nadu and Orissa Sand Complex, Odisha. Indigenous efforts towards development and demonstration of Thorium-based reactor technology are in experimental stage.

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