1,600 Tonne Lithium Resources Found In Karnataka's Mandya District, Three Uranium Deposits In Himachal: Centre

Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh has informed the Parliament that Lithium resources have been found in two districts of Karnataka.

"Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy, has found presence of Lithium resources in Mandya and Yadgiri districts, Karnataka," the minister said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister added that AMD has established 1,600 tonnes (G3 stage or preliminary exploration) Lithium resources in Marlagalla area, Mandya district, Karnataka.

"Further, Preliminary surveys and limited subsurface exploration have been carried in Yadgiri district, Karnataka to identify and estimate the Lithium resources," he said.

He also informed that the AMD is currently carrying out exploration for Lithium in the potential geological domains in parts of Chhattisgarh's Korba District.

"However, the major mica belts located in Rajasthan, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh and Pegmatite Belts in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka are the potential geological domains in the country for Lithium resources," the minister added.

Singh also said that preliminary survey carried out recently by AMD in Himachal Pradesh has led to the identification of surface uranium occurrence in Masanbal, Hamirpur district.

"AMD has established three uranium deposits i.e. Rajpura in Una district, Kasha-Kaladi in Shimla district and Tileli in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. As on date, a total of 784 tonne (t) in-situ uranium oxide resource has been estimated in these deposits, which includes 364t in-situ uranium oxide in Rajpura; 200t in KashaKaladi and 220t in Tileli," he added.

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