Mineral Resources of Uttaranchal

7/28/2019 Mineral Resources of Uttaranchal

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MINERAL RESOURCES OF UTTARANCHAL

Kumari Sudha

Research Scholar

Deptt of HistoryP.U., Patna

Forming the central sector of the Himalayan are, the Uttaranchal Himalaya pro-

vides a revealing insight into the history of sedimentation and tectonics of the entire Himalaya.

The rocks are highly deformed. They from various thrust sheets and nappes and are traversed

repeatedly by transverse faults. The Uttaranchal Himalaya comprises all the four latiudinal

zones identified on the basis of varied geotectonic and physiographic features and various

metallic anf non-metallic minerals are videly distributed within them. Though the variety of

minerals found in Uttaranchal is not very large, however there are significantly small deposits

of metallic minerals which include lead, zinc copper gold tungsten, antimony etc. The non

metallic deposits are large and if properly assessed and utilized, have the potential of bringing

economic revolution in the region. occurrences of substantial deposists of magnesite, dolo-

mite, limestone, paving stone, talc are known from a number of localities in Uttaranchal

Himalaya. The succinct account of the occurrences of major and minor mineral deposist,

their distribution, quality and estimated reservesd are given below.1

Limestone/Dolomite

Limestone/Dolomite is found in many parts of Uttaranchal. The Gangolihat

Dolomite formation of eastern part is predominantly made of dolomite occuring in three

belts, namely the Jhulaghat-Gangolihat-Jhirauli belt, the Panthsera-Rain-Kanda belt, and the

Dharchula Kapkot belt extending westward into the Pindar valley is of the order of several

billion tonnes.

Large deposits of Dolomite/Limestone occur in Krol belt of Nainital Hills and

Dehradun-Mussoorie Syncline. The main deposits have been reported from sisoli, Bhatta,

Hathipaon, Jharipani localities. These deposits have high Ca0 ranging from 50 to 57% whith

low Mg0, iron oxide, silica and alumina content and belong ot Krol C. The limestone occuring

in the upper part is dolomitic in nature. The limestone belonging to Tal formation has high

silica content than Mg0. The good qulaity limestone deposits are exposed around Sahastradhara

area. The limestone deposits exposed around Kalsi and Dagura, Tila Gwar and Bhadsi near

Lansdowne are also of significant quality.2

The basal part of the Gangoliht Dolomite (=Deoban) consists of limestone at a

number of places. Overlying the Gangolihat dolomites, the Sor slate also consists of severalbands of cement-grade limestone in a number of places. In the Pithoragarh district, three


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distinct belts of limestone are reconizable. The first band stretches from Baste to Naulara

(Ramganga Valley), In the east it is approximately 20km long and 230 mthick, containting

about 3.4 million tonnes of cement-grade limestone with average Ca0 74.2%, Mg0 2.4% and

insoluble residue 10-13% A thin band of cement-grade limestone has also been recorded

from the base of Gangolihat dolomite west of Berinag in the Postala-Kulur Gad area. This belt

is about 6 km. long and 25 m thick, having 16 million tonnes of limestone. Another very

significant 13 km long and 50-200 m thick horizon coours south of Gangolihat, extending

through Nargolgad, Bagaur, Chunala and Suitola. the calcium content of the limestone varies

from 45-50%, the amount of Mg being low-from 0.75 to 1.80% and Si varies from 5-13.20%

about 60 million tonnes of limestone reserves has been estimated. A mini cement plant of the

capacity of 2 lakh tonnes per annum has been proposed near chaunala by U.P. State Cement

Corporatioon. Cement-grade limestone is also found near Jirauli (Matela area) where the

total reserve is of the order of 8.77 million tonnes.3

The calcareous tuffa of the Krol Formation of Nainital is of the cement grade.

About 55,000 tonnes of reserve of calc tuffa (Cao 32-53%, Mgo 2%, Al2o

3% Sio

21-10%)

have been located in the Chunakhan Saulena-Adaura area northwest of Nainital. A horizon of

marmorized limestone occurs north of Nainital in the Kosi valley, extending from Betalghat

through Jaurasi to Nathuakhan. A reserve of about 7 million tonnes of cement-grade lime-

stone has been estimated at Jaurasi by the U.P. Directorate of Geology & Mining.

It will be evident that the reserves of limestone are quite large, and investiga-

tions so far carried out have shown the possibility of setting up of mini cement plants at anumber of places, e.g. at Jaurasi, Chaunala, Betalghat, Matela (Jhirauli area) and Bhulgaon.4

Magnesite

The most spectacular features of the Gangolihat Dolomite (=Deoban) is the

lentiform deposits of coarsely crystalline magnesite in its uppermost horizon. The horizon of

magnestie deposit streches from the Kali River in the east to the Alaknanda Valley in the west.

The magnesium oxide content (35-45%) of the magnesite is almost uniform throughout its

vast extent.

The magnesite-horizon occurs in three lognitudinal belts. North of Pithoragarh

it extends along Bisabajer, Harigaon, Baste, Deopala, Dol-Tusrani, Tithait, Ganni, Tachhini,

Phadiari, Bauri, Asam, Salia and Dhjuraphat (Gangoli area). The chemical composition of

these deposits at Chandaak-Dharigaon is MgO 42.30%, CaO 1.66%, SiO2

5.53% and R2

O3

3.51%. The Second chain is found extending from Panthsera, Gandoli, Dungi, Dewalthat,

Boragar, Rain- Agar and Kanda, extending westward along Bhulgaon, Dewaldhar towards

Girichhina and Someshwar. The average composition of the deposit at Dewalthat is MgO

43.39%, CaO 1.40%, SiO22.83%, R

2O

31.71% South of the Munsiari Thrust the third chain

extends from Painya in the east to Tuper Jakh and Jakheri (Lahor valley) in the west.5


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The region had large magnestie deposite, some of which have already been

quantiatively and qualitatively evaluated. The Chandaak and Jhirauli deposits are being mined,

respectively, by the Magnesite and Mineral Ltd, and the Almora magnesite Ltd, each produc-

ing about 100 tonnes of dead-burnt magnesier daily. The magnesite would require uprading by

suitable beneficiation for the manufacture of matallic magnesium. The Dewalthal deposite is

being evaluated by the Bharat Refractory Ltd., Gopvernment of India undertaking.6

Magnesite also occurs in Palla, Jakhola, Kimana, Healang, Gulabkoti and

Mamolta area of Chamoli district. The mineral body vary in length ranging from 75 to 720 m

and in thickness from 12.5 to 120 m. A total reserve has been estimated to be 50 million

tonnes.

The magnesite is mainly used in the steel and cement industries, However, there

is large scope for utilising it in a large number of other industries such as synthetic, plastic,

paints, Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paper, tanning and textiles. The reserve position of someof the important deposits is given below.

Reserve of some important manesite Depoists

Locality of Deposit District Average Estimated

Thickness (m) Reseve (M.T.)

Dewalthal Pithoragarh - 32.06

Chandaak Pthoragarh 6.23 45.10

Gol. Pthoragarh - 3.34

Kholi-Amthal Pthoragarh - 52.65Jhirauli Almora 14.15 4.00

Dewaldhar Almora 15.35 79

Girichhina Almora 9.24 3.50

Kanda-Musauli Almora - 18.58

Pungar Valley Almora - 12.20

Lahor Valley Almora - 12.90

Palla-Gulabkhoti Chamoli - 50.00

Talc

Talc is found intimately associated with the magnesite deposits. Preliminary

survey indicated high-grade talc occurrences in Almora and Pithoragarh districts. The depos-

its of Jakhera, Maulagar, Biskha and Surag (Lahor Valley), Agar-Girichhina (east of Someshwar),

Kanda, Khuna, Dayali and Masauli (Pungar Valley), Malahula Thal, Ritha-Raintola (Ramganga

Valley), Panya-Pauri and Imkhola (Gori Valley), Dewalthal-Bungachhina Boragar-Rain Agar

(South of Berinage) are economically exploitable, A small deposit has also been located in

the Kharidhar, north or Dwarahat.

An estimated reserve of about 2 million tonnes has been calculated for the


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deposits of Girichhina, Badolisera. Chimta and Kanda. The Pungar valley deposits are esti-

mate to have 3.4 million tonnes of massive to flaky industiral-grade soaptone. The Lahor

valley deposits are smaller in dimension -500 by 1.25 m (Surag), 200 by 6m (Birkhal) and

2,000 by 5m (Dyeli). In the Pithoragarh district near Malajhula about 4 km ling and 60m thick

talc was recently discovered. The Kanalichhina deposit (Pithoragarh) contains an established

reserve of about 0.12 million tonnes. In the Bora Agar area about 300 m long and 29 m thick

talc band has been located.6

Talc is used in various industries-for-making of soap, paint, insecticides, pesti-

cides and lubricants. The talc of the Kumaun region is suitable for various types of industies.

Slate and Pavingstones

Slate has been used since times immemorial as a roofing material. The oldest

sedimentary rocks of eastern Kumaun Himalaya consist of slates of brown and grey colours.

The Sor Slate Formation throughout its vast extent contains valuable roofing and pavingstonematerial. In central Kumaun, the Alomra crytallines at a umber of places contain high-quality

slates and pavingstone. The deposite of Gumalikhet, Kanalichhina, Baldhoti, Chiteh near

Dwarahat and Labha near Garisen are of good quality traditionaly Kanalichhina Baldhoti, Chieth

near Dwarahat and Labha near Gairsen are good quality and traditionaly mined since olden

times. The Ramgarh Groups also comprises good-quality slates at various places.

Gypsum

Gypsum occurs in Naintial, Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri districts. The total resrves

of Gypsum associated with the Krol sediments have been estimate to be 1.1 million tonnes.Gypsum occurs in pocket and in small bands in Garari Chatti and Ranagargaon Sera locality of

Tehri District. The gypsum have also recoreded from Kharrari Chatti near Lakshman Jhula. A

sizble mineraliztion of Gypsum is associated with Krol limestone in Jharipani-Sahastradhara

and Kalighat area of Mussoorie synline. In Naintial district Gypsum occurs in pockets and

lenses near Hanumangarhi, Dhapila and Joginath.7

SMALLER DEPOSITS

Copper

In the last four decades, detailed investigation were carried out for copper and

other base metals. The occurence of copper minerals are confined to three lithostratigraphic

units (i) dolomite, magnesite and talc schist of the Gangolighat (ii) Chlorie schist of Bearing

fromation and (iii) mylonitic prorphyry schist and quartz porphyry of the Ramgarh Groups.

North of Pithoragarh near Chandaak and east of Kanalichhina minor veins of

pyrite chalcopyrite are seen within the Gangolihat Dolomite. In the Dwelathal area, the mag-

nesite and dolomite show dissemination of chalocopyrite. South of Bering near Rain-Agar,

traes of ancient mining and smelting are seen. As a matter of act, the entire places having

suffix Agar Were ancient minning/Metallurgical centers. At rain Agar an 18 m long and 0.5


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m wide lode of chalcoyrite and prite, with an average Cu content of 0.004 to 1.5% has been

located. The Bora Agar mineralized zone is about 1.5 km long extending between Tusrani and

Dol, and 5.30m in width an average Cu content of 1.29%.

A polymetallic copper deposit has been located near Askot. This is the only

occurence of significance. The mineralization is mainly represented by sphalerite, galena,

chalcopyrite and aresenopyrite, with minor amounts of marcasite, bornite, chalcocite, pyrite,

pyrrhotite, cubanite and stinnite. The thckness of the ore zone is variable, the average being

4.47 m. The weighted average composition is Cu 2.32% and Zn 3.95%.A total reserve of 0.77

million tonnes of copper-lead -zinc ore, with an average grade of 9% metal, has been esti-

mated for this polymetallic deposite by the Geological survey of India. However, the follow

in investigations carried out by U.P. Direcotrate of Geology and Mining have so far estab-

lished a reserve of 1.41 million tonnes of the ore.

In Ramgarh rocks, the quarts-veins cutting across quartz porphyry and graniteporphyry have been found to contain sulhides at Galpakot, Kimukhet, Hairakhan, Timar and

Ulgad in eastern Naintial District. The result of the regional integrated survey are not encour-

aging. The Nagthat quartizites interbedded with metavolcanic stain besides also contain chal-

copyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covellite besides goethite and haematite occuring in stringers

veins and as caity filling such as seen at Jhulia-Tamakhani.8

Lead

Evidence of ancient of lead is seen at Sisakhani, Rain Agar and Bheridhauri.

Lead Occurs invariably associate with copper sulphides such as at Sisakhani, Chhanapani,Bhalodeo and Gaul, south of Rain Agar and Najibia (South of Berinage) Chandaak, Dewalgarh,

Tachhira, Bhainskhet, Bheridhauri (Ashok0Sandeo). The Sisakhani deposit is the only occurence

of some promise. The mineralised zone is about 4 km. long extending between Sisakhani and

Baldeo Hills, with the lead content ranging from 0.08% to 33.80% and weighted average lead

content of 3.34% Likewise, in the area west of Chhanapani the 15m by 6m zone contains

minutes specks thin veinlets of galena in dolomite.

Lead and Zinc mineralizations is also associated with Krol limestone and dolomites as devel-

oped near Shahastradhara near Dehradun.

Phosphorite

The Mussoorie and Nigalidhar syncline has signifiant mineralization around

Maldeota, Durmala, Paritiba, Chamasari and Jakholi areas. The Phosporite occurs with black

shale chert association in lower part of Krol Fromation. At Maldeota the phosphatic band has

a thickness of about 7 m extending over 1300m. The P2O

5content varies from 15 to 25%. A

reserve of about 18 million tonns has been estimated in the Mussoorie deposits. In Garhwal

synline in Tehri and and Pauri districts phophorite has also located at Kundyarsin and Kowdyaia

area. The P2O

5content varies from 6-30%.


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Phosphorite is localized in two differnet lithostratiraphic groups. The Gangolihat

dlomite of Pithoragarh-Gangolihat area contains phosphorite in the stromatolitics horizons

traceable from jarmalgaon through Bhandarigaon, Baste, Dhari, Chandaak, Tragaon and

Marhgaon to Bisabajer. The Complex folding is responisble for the repetition of this horizon

in the north in Gurungdesh (Ratwali, Tatrota, and Halpati). The Phosphate content is very low,

and only a few lentils and pockets contain about 10-20% of P2O

5Phosphate is also assocated

with the stromatolitic dolomitic limestone near the P.W.D. Guest House at Ganolihat and near

Bora Agar, South of Berinag.9

The uppermost Krol dolomite and contiguous Tal Strata at Shewrwood college

and Tiffin Top in the Naintial Hills are slightly phosphatic, the phosphate occurring in the

form of thijn bands. The phosphatic bands are cherty and granular in character, about 2 to 2.5

in thickness and having a strike extension of 225 m in the E-W direction have average P2O

5,

Content of 7-10%. In view of the poor quality, the Kumaun phosphorite deposits are not eco-nomical for exploitation.

Graphite

The occurences of graphite schist and graphite nodules are known from Kalimat,

Sirar, Petsal and Barini Devi, northwest of Almora, The grahite schist belt, extending over

15km, is found associated with banded quartizite, garnetiferous mica schist and gneisses of

the Almora Group. The Carbon content of the deposite ranges from 5.88 to 37.11%. A reserve

of about 10.70 million tonnes has been estimated in the Kalimat-Sirar area. It may be noted

that in Alabama and New York regions Of U.S.A., graphite bands in mica-schist containing aslow as 2.5 to 7% graphite are commercially being exploited. Resarch on the beneficiation

would help utilizationh of the Pestal-Kalimat-Sirar deposits. Small but significant occurences

in the Munsiari Formation are also known from Bult, Diuri, Ukkakot and chhira in Champawat

area, Munsiari, Garjoli, Phalsima and Palon.

Scheelite

The U.P. Directorate of Geology and Mining has recently discovered scheelite,

tungsten ore, and associated minerals bishmuth, animony, gold etc, in the Almora crystalliness

in the Petsal-Palsima, Dhaulichhina and Jaurasi (Chuaukhutia) area. An average of about 0.04%

to 0.9% tungsten is present in the rocks. The total estimated reserve is of the order of 1.5

million tonnes. Detailed exploration is still in progress. There is every possibility of finding

good deposite of scheelite in these crystalliness at many other places.10

Pyrite and Sulphur

The Gangolihat dolomites, Sor Slate and Infra-Krol contain in a number of lo-

calities the disseminations of pyrite and encrustations of sulphur, but so far deposits of sig-

nificance are not known. Conspicous dissemination of pyrite are seen in the Tejam Zone

between Kali and Alaknanda Valley, along the Gori between Madkot and Sirtola in the vicinity

of Garjia, southeast of Munsiari in the Tanta and Dhamigaon area, in the Ramganga-Jakhala


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near Tejam, the Saryu-Lahur valley north of Bageshwar, the Pindar valley west of Bageshwar,

and the Pindar Valley west of Kibara. In the Krol belt other extensively developed Infra-Krol

shows pyrite in a number of localities.11

Although the varitey of minerals in Uttranchal is not very large, however the

minerals prsent in abundance could be utilized for the economic benefit of the nation. Cau-

tion has to be taken in mining of minerals in the ecologically senstitive and geological fragile

terrain of Uttaranchal. In mining operation the problem starts with the extraction of minerals,

resulting in the degradation of land, pollution of air and water and ground failure affecting the

geohydrology of the area. The mining plan for such regions incorpate rehabilitation, regen-

eration of the disturbed exosystem on sustaibale basis.

References :1. Shyam Narayan Singh, Puratataw Sangrahalaya Haridwar, G.K. Univeristy, Haridwar, P-36

2. Ibid

3. Ibid, P-564. Dr. Vikash Ranjan Kumar, Uttarakhand Ka Itihas, Gargi Prakashan, Agra, 2009. P-48

5. Shyam Narayan Singh, Puratataw Sangrahalaya Haridwar, G.K. Univeristy, Haridwar, P-36

6. Ibid, P-46

6. Ibid, P- 68

7. Pahad: 10. P-316

8. E.J. Rapsan, Indian Quains, 1970, P-12

9. Bhagat Singh Pawar, Uttarakhand Sangrahalaya Darshan, Omega Publication, 2007, P-183

10. Dr. Vikash Ranjan Kumar, Uttarakhand Ka Itihas, Gargi Prakashan, Agra, 2009. P-68

11. Shyam Narayan Singh, Puratataw Sangrahalaya Haridwar, G.K. Univeristy, Haridwar, P-36

Documents

Mineral Resources of Uttaranchal