STRUCTURE

Introduction – A short introduction to Bauxite ( 15 words)

1) Explain about distribution of Bauxite (60 words)

2) Explain about production of Bauxite (60 words)

Conclusion – Mention a short conclusion (15 words)

ANSWER

Bauxite is a rock consisting mainly of hydrated aluminium oxides. It is an important ore that is used for making aluminium

PRODUCTION AND DISITRIBUTION  OF BAUXITE

• The total in situ reserves are 3,076 million tonnes as on 1 April, 2000. These deposits are mainly associated with laterites and occur as blankets or cappings on hills and plateaus except in coastal areas of Gujarat and Goa. The major occurrences have been reported from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, M.P., Orissa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
• Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, U.P. and Rajasthan are also reported to have some bauxite deposits. The production of bauxite has increased rather out of proportion from a mere 68 thousand tonnes in 1950-51 to a staggering quantity of 9,777 thousand tonnes in 2002-03 recording an increase of over 140 times in a span of about half a century.
• Orissa –
  • Orissa is the largest producer, which produces about 50% of the total bauxite production of the country.
  • The main bauxite belt is in Kalahandi, Koraput, and Baragarh districts. This is the largest bauxite-bearing region of the country.
  • This 300 km long, 40 to 100 km wide and 950 to 1300 metre thick belt is the largest bauxite bearing region of the country. The main deposits occur in Kalahandi, Koraput, Sundargarh, Bolangir, and Sambalpur districts.
  • In this belt, there are two very large high grade bauxites deposits (in Orissa). The one at Panchpatmali (Koraput district) is considered as the largest in India. The second known as Gandha mardan deposits(Baragarh district).
• Gujarat –
  • Gujarat is the second-largest producer and produces over 15 percent of the total bauxite of India.
  • The most important deposits occur in a belt which is 48 km long and 3 to 4.5 km wide lying between the Gulf of Kachchh and the Arabian Sea through Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and Amreli districts.
• Jharkhand –
  • The reserves of all grades of recoverable bauxite in Jharkhand have been estimated at 63.5 million tonnes
  • These reserves are found in extensive areas of Ranchi, Lohardaga, Palamu, and Gumla districts
  • Some bauxite is also found in Dumka and Munger districts.
  • High-grade ore occurs in Lohardaga and adjoining areas.
• Other areas of bauxite production –
  • Maharashtra: The largest deposits occur in the Kolhapur district capping the plateau basalts.
  • Chhattisgarh: The Maikala range in Bilaspur, Durg districts, and the Amarkantak plateau regions of Surguja, Raigarh, and Bilaspur are some of the areas having rich deposits of bauxite.
  • Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri and Salem are the main bauxite producing districts enabling Tamil Nadu to contribute slightly more than 2 percent of India’s bauxite.
  • Madhya Pradesh: Amarkantak plateau area, the Maikala range in Shahdol, Mandla, and Balaghat districts, and the Kotni area of Jabalpur district are the main producers.
  • Some bauxite is also found in Andhra Pradesh, (Vishakhapatnam, East Godavari, and West Godavari), Kerala (Kannur, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram), Rajasthan (Kota), Uttar Pradesh (Banda, Lalitpur, and Varanasi), Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu, Poonch, Udhampur) and Goa.