Minerals and Energy Resources in Bihar, Types and Sources

Mralinals and Energy resources in India are not uniformly distributed across regions. Different kinds of minerals, which come from rocks or other sources, are found in nature. Bihar, which controls 95% of the nation’s pyrite reserves, is the main producer of these resources. Bauxite is found in abundance in the Jamui district of Bihar, along with cement mortar in Bhabhua, mica in Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Jamui, and Gaya, and salt in Gaya and Jamui.

Minerals And Energy Deposits of State

The majority of Bihar is made up of the Gangetic Plains, and the state’s economy is mainly dependent on agriculture. Bihar state was one of the top producers of minerals before it split in 2000. However, after the state was divided, only a small amount of rich mineral deposits remained in the state.

The archean rocks are found in southern and southern-eastern regions of the state. These rocks are primarily composed of metallic minerals, such as gold and bauxite. The districts of Jamui, Nawada, Munger, Banka, Bhagalpur, and Gaya have archean rocks. In southwestern Bihar presence of non-metallic minerals in the Vindhyan rock group is found. These minerals include slate, quartz, pyrite, mica, and china clay. The Aurangabad, Nawada, Jamui, and Rohtas districts all include Vindhyan rocks.

District Wise Mineral Resources in Bihar

Bihar is the principal holder of the country’s pyrite resources but remains with limited resources of minerals like Sand, Stone, Limestone, Mica, Silica, Quartzite, etc. After bifurcation Bihar was left only with soil and sand. However, pyrite, limestone, and mica are available in good quantity in present Bihar
The important mineral occurrences in Bihar are

Minerals And Energy Found In Bihar

When small pieces of rock collect below the surface, it leads to the formation of sedimentary rocks known as layered rocks which leads to the formation of various minerals. Minerals are the primary source of industrialization and development of a state. The main list of minerals found in Bihar is discussed below:

1. Asbestos

• It is a fibrous mineral made up of water, silica, and magnesium.
• Its two primary types are chrysotile and amphibolite.
• Due to its excellent fire and electricity resistance, it is employed in goods that are both fireproof and electricity-proof.
• Asbestos is used to make the fire-proof gear used by firefighters.
• It is used in both trains and airplanes.
• It is mostly present in the Bihar district of Munger.

2. Bauxite

• It is a significant mineral that is used to produce aluminum.
• It is a rock made primarily of hydrated aluminum oxides rather than a particular mineral.
• It is found in the Kharagpur hills of Munger district and Rohtas.
• The resources of high-quality bauxite in this area are thought to be 1.5 million tonnes.

3. Beryllium

• It is primarily employed as a moderator in nuclear reactors for the production of atomic power, in the spring industry, in the manufacture of fluorescent lights, in ship carburetors, in cyclotrons, and other devices.
• It is found in the igneous rocks in the Gaya district.

4. China Clay (Kaolinite)

• China clay or Kaolinite is formed by the erosion of feldspar in granite rocks.
• The absence of soda and potash increases fire resistance significantly.
• It is mostly used in cement, ceramics, fertilizers, textile, paper, paint, and blast furnace sectors.
• The districts of Bhagalpur, Munger, Banka, and Vaishali contain their deposits.

5. Coal

• The state of Bihar is home to 160 million tonnes of coal resources, according to the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
• It is found in the Rajmahal Hills region’s neighboring districts of Bhagalpur and Munger (Jharkhand).

6. Feldspar

• It can be found in pegmatite rocks alongside quartz.
• It is used in the refractory, glass, and ceramic industries.
• Gaya, Jamui, and Munger districts are where feldspar can be found.
• It is also employed as moonstones and sunstones.

7. Fire Clay

• Below the coal deposits, it can be found in sedimentary rocks.
• It is a refractory clay with lower concentrations of potash and soda.
• It is mostly utilized in blast furnaces, chimneys, and boiler buildings to melt minerals in companies.
• In industries, fire clay is used to make fire bricks.
• The districts of Bhagalpur, Munger, and Purnea are the main locations for fire clay.

8. Galena

• It is an ore of lead.
• In addition to other chemical-based sectors, it is employed in nuclear energy and paint.
• It is primarily found in the Banka district’s Abrakha region.

9. Gold

• It is a precious mineral that is used to make decorations and as a kind of money around the world.
• Additionally, it is employed for carving and dentistry.
• Bihar is home to around 57% of India’s gold resources, according to the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
• The districts of Gaya, Nalanda, and Jamui contain the gold reserves.
• Some of the auriferous lodes can be discovered in the river sand.
• Gold deposits have been confirmed by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in the Kabutra and Nakia hill regions of Rajgir and Karmatia, Rani Hill, Badmaria, and Marhi Hill in Sono block in Jamui district.

10. Granite

• It belongs to the granular, phaneritic class of crystalline intrusive igneous rocks.
• Quartz and feldspar are two of its key constituents.
• It is primarily found in Bhagalpur, Nawada, Banka, and Munger districts of Bhagalpur, Nawada, Banka, and Munger as decorative black and colored granite.

11. Iron-Ore

• The districts of Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Jamui contain deposits of iron ore.
• Gaya and Jamui are home to magnetite iron ore, while Bhagalpur district is home to haematite iron ore.

12. Limestone

• Limestone deposits are primarily found in the Vindhyan rocks group and are of sedimentary origin (Western part of Bihar).
• It is made of either calcium carbonate or double constituents of calcium and magnesium.
• It also contains silica, alumina, iron oxides, phosphorus, and sulfur, in addition to these.
• The majority of the state’s limestone deposits are located in the Rohtas district, specifically in Rohtasgarh, Ramdihra, Banjari, and Dehri-on-Son.
• Rohtas Hills, Kaimur Plateau, and Munger are the locations of good quality limestone.
• Cement manufacturing uses limestones of high grade, while iron, sugar, and building construction employ limestones of lower quality.
• Annual production of limestone is about 4,78,000 tonne/year.

13. Manganese

• The sedimentary strata from the Dharwar period contain manganese as a metal supplement in the form of natural ash.
• The Bihar districts of Patna, Gaya, and Munger are where its deposits can be discovered.
• It does not occur naturally as a free element but is frequently present in minerals along with iron in combination.
• Iron and steel are made with manganese, which is also used as a raw material to produce alloys.
• Additionally, it is used to manufacture pesticides, paint, batteries, and bleaching powder.
• Pyrolusite and bornite are alloys of manganese.
• India is the world’s fifth-largest producer and has the ninth-largest reserves.

14. Mica

• It does not carry heat or electricity well.
• Before the bifurcation, Bihar was a leader in mica production.
• In Bihar, a 3400 square kilometer (sq km) wide mica belt extends throughout the country.
• It reaches the state of Jharkhand from the eastern portion of Nawada.
• In the Bihar districts of Jamui and Nawada, this belt is situated in Chakai, Batia, and Charka Pathar.
• The best ruby mica in the world is found in Bihar and Jharkhand.
• The districts of Munger, Bhagalpur, and Gaya are significant locations where mica is found.
• India is home to Muscovite, Phlogopite, and Biotite, three types of mica.
• It is mostly employed in the production of items with high electrical resistance and heat-related sectors.
• Mica is utilized in the semiconductor, paint, and rubber industries.

15. Monazite

• It is a mixture of the elements thorium, uranium, cerium, and tantalum.
• It is primarily found in the pegmatite rocks of the Gaya and Munger districts.

16. Pyrite

• It is a sulfide of iron.
• The primary deposits are located in Bihar’s Rohtas district’s Amjhor Sone Valley. Deposits containing 47% sulfur are present here.
• Pyrite is also found in the upper Vindhyan rocks group and Kurari, Manda, and Kariria.
• It is more frequently needed to produce sulphuric acid than to produce iron.
• Sulfur is harmful to the iron-making process because of its high concentration.
• As per the report of the Indian Bureau of Mines, 2017, Bihar has about 95% pyrite resources of India.
• Numerous businesses, including those that produce fertilizer, chemicals, rayon, steel, and petroleum, require sulfuric acid. Making explosives, matches, pesticides, fungicides, and vulcanizing rubber all benefit from the usage of elemental sulfur.
• The production of pyrite is almost 9539 tonnes/year.

17. Quartz

• It is mostly used in the cement, refractory, iron-and-steel (in furnaces), electronic, and power industries.
• It is located in the districts of Jamui, Gaya, and Nawada.

18. Quartzite

• It is a hard non-foliated metamorphic rock. It is a converted form of sandstone.
• In the industrial sector, it is primarily utilized as a building construction material and to produce heat resistants.
• The hills of Munger district’s Kharagpur district and Jamui district’s Chakai area are where its significant deposits can be found. Jamalpur, Lakhisarai, and Nalanda are other important sites.

19. Saltpetre

• It is present as sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. The principal applications for it include fertilizers, the disposal of tree stumps, rock propellants, fireworks, glass, and the softening of steel.
• Saraiya Pahari (Gopalganj) and Manjhi (Saran) are its primary producers.
• Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, Saran, Darbhanga, Bhojpur, Gaya, and Munger districts are other significant producers.

20. Sand Stone

• The Kaimur hills, which have significant silica contents, are where it is primarily found.
• It is mostly utilized in the glass industry and as decorative building materials.

21. Slate

• Slate stone is used in decorative items and for industrial purposes.
• The Kharagpur hill region in the Munger district is believed to contain quantities of black and colored slate stones totaling about 2.53 million tonnes.
• Dharhara and Kajra in the town of Jamalpur, Munger district, are additional significant regions.

22. Steatite

• It is mostly employed in the paint industries and beauty products.
• It is primarily found in Bihar’s Shankarpur area of the Jamui district.
• Steatite production in the state is about 945 tonnes per year.

23. Uranium

• It is a radioactive element that can be found in igneous rocks.
• It can be found in pegmatite, pitchblende (uranite), and uranium compounds.
• It can be located in the pegmatite pores of the Nawada districts and the mica mines of the Akbari Hills in the Gaya district.
• Additionally, the Magadha division’s boundary fault has a substantial deposit.

24. Zinc and Lead

• These minerals are found in Banka and Rohtas districts.
• Lead is used in the iron and steel industry and it is a bad conductor of electricity.

Mineral-Based Industries in Bihar

The state of Bihar is a prime location for a variety of industries due to its substantial pool of inexpensive industrial labor. The industrial sector is one of the pillars of an economy’s growth. Increased employment, urbanization, revenue collection (as a result of value creation), and the development of other industries are all consequences of industrialization.

1. Mining and Quarrying

Energy Resources Of Bihar

Energy is one of the most important components of economic infrastructure. Compared to India’s 1030.25 kWh, Bihar consumes 327.7 kWh of electricity per person. But has consistently experienced a power shortage. For economic growth to occur, jobs must be created that contribute to the elimination of poverty and the advancement of civilization, and for that sustained, adequate, dependable, inexpensive, and high-quality power must be available.

The Bihar State Electricity Board was established in April 1958, under the Electricity Supply Act. Fossil fuels are the primary source of energy in Bihar. In November 2012, the BSEB was split into the following firms under the new Bihar State Electricity Reforms Transfer Scheme 2012:

Thermal Power Stations In Bihar

Minerals such as coal, stale, and marble are found in sedimentary rocks. Coal is an example of sedimentary rock of biotic origin. India produced more than half of the World’s production of coal. Coal acts as the primary energy source for thermal power. Bihar’s significant thermal power plants are

New Thermal Projects

Some new Thermal plants are discussed below:

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