India Finds Large Reserves Of Lithium In Jammu And Kashmir's Reasi

The Central government on Thursday (9 February) said that around 5.9 million tonnes Lithium reserves have been found in the country for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lithium is one of the key materials used in manufacturing of batteries having high energy density that are used in electric vehicles, smartphones and other electronic equipments.

"Geological Survey of India has for the first time established 5.9 million tonnes inferred resources (G3) of lithium in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir (UT)," the Ministry of Mines said on Thursday.

With this discovery, India now have the sixth largest known reserve of lithium resources in the world.

The ministry further said that 51 mineral blocks including Lithium and Gold were handed over to the state governments.

"Out of these 51 mineral blocks, 5 blocks pertains to gold and other blocks pertains to commodities like potash, molybdenum, base metals etc. spread across 11 states of Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana" the ministry said.

The blocks were prepared based on the work carried out by GSI from field seasons 2018-19 to till date, the ministry said.

Apart from these, 17 reports of Coal and Lignite with a total resource of 7897 million tones were also handed over to Ministry of Coal, it added.