(ii) Manganese Ore

It is a ferro – alloy used to manufacture the special quality of steel. It is used as cleanses in manufacturing process when added with Iron. Manganese ore forms an important ingredient in the manufacture of iron and steel. It is also used in manufacture of dry batteries, in photography, leather and match industries. About 85 percent of total manganese consumption in India is used by metallurgical industries.

Distribution of Manganese ore:

South Africa is the top producer of Manganese ore worldwide. India ranks third in the production of manganese ore in the world, next only to Russia and South Africa. About one fourth of the total production of India exported.

The important areas of production are in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Over 78 percent of total reserves of manganese ore of India occur in a belt stretching from Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra to Balaghat and Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. But these two states contribute only 12 and 14 percent of total production respectively.

The remaining 22 percent of reserves are distributed in Orissa, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh. Orissa tops in the production of manganese accounting for 37% of the total production of the country. Its reserves are only 12 percent of total reserves of India. The important mining districts are Sundargarh, Rayagada, Bolangir, Keonjhar, Jaipur, and Mayurbhanj.

In Karnataka, the deposits are located in the districts of Shimoga, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Bellary. Small deposits are reported in Bijapur, Chikmagalur and Dharwar districts. Karnataka is the second largest producer of manganese ore, accounting for 26 percent of country’s total productions. It accounts for 6.41 percent of country’s total reserves.

Andhra Pradesh is a significant producer of manganese ore, contributing about 8 percent of India’s total production, although her reserves are insignificant. Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat also have some deposits of manganese ore.

MANGANESE ORE DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA

Non-Ferrous Minerals:

These Minerals doesn’t contain Iron in appreciable quantity. They are desirable due to their properties like low weight, higher conductivity, non-corrosiveness. India is very poor and deficient in all of these minerals.

E.g. : Copper, Tin, Titanium, Zinc, Bainite etc.,

(i) Bauxite

Bauxite is a clay like substance and a non-ferrous metallic mineral. It is the ore from which aluminium metal is produced. India’s reserves of bauxite are sufficient to keep the country self-reliant. Aluminium extracted from the ore is used in production of aero planes parts, electrical appliances and goods, household fittings, utensils etc. Bauxite is also used for manufacturing of white colour cement and certain chemicals.