(a) whether bauxite is being explored in the notified areas of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the names of agencies roped in for this work;
(c) the total quantum of bauxite mined across the country during the last three years, State-wise;
(d) whether the Government has sought the opinion of the States in regard to conservation of Bauxite and if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
(e) the measures taken by the Government to preserve Bauxite in future?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINES (SHRI HARIBHAI PARTHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)
(a) & (b) As per the information received from the States, the details of exploration of bauxite being undertaken by various agencies are given in the following table:
S.
No. State Districts Agencies carrying out exploration of bauxite
1 Chhattisgarh Kabirdham, Surguja, Balrampur, Jashpur, Kanker and Kondagaon 1. Director Geology Mining , Chhattisgarh
2. Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited
3. Geological Survey of India
2 Jharkhand Gumla and Lohardaga 1. Directorate of Geology, Government of Jharkhand
3 Odisha Koraput, Rayagada, and Kalahandi, Phulbani, Bolangir and Barharh 1. Geological Survey of India
2. Mineral Corporation of India
3. Directorate of Geology, Odisha
4 Gujarat Porbandar 1. Gujarat Mineral Development and Mineral Society
(c) State-wise production of bauxite is given in the following table:
State-wise production of Bauxite
(Quantity in tonnes)
State 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17(P)
India 22493671 28123789 24664632
Chhattisgarh 1560784 1991455 1954233
Goa 268500 163950 0
Gujarat 5825628 10387092 5818467
Jharkhand 2040519 2111227 2289825
Karnataka 127500 12050 386
Madhya Pradesh 831899 684288 658375
Maharashtra 2669408 1907543 1946042
Orissa 9091061 10839038 11990035
Tamil Nadu 78372 27146 7269
Source: MCDR Returns
(P): Provisional
(d) & (e) The mining activities of major minerals including Bauxite, are regulated as per the provisions contained in Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 and the rules framed thereunder. The MMDR Act and the Rules thereunder have been framed after wide consultation with all stakeholders, including State Governments. This is as per the pre-legislative consultative policy promulgated by the Ministry of Law & Justice.
Further, the measures for conservation of minerals, including bauxite are done as per the provisions of MMDR Act, 1957 and National Mineral Policy-2008, which, inter alia, states that conservation of mineral shall be construed not in the restrictive sense of abstinence from consumption or preservation for use in the distant future but as a positive concept leading to augmentation of reserve base through improvement in mining methods, beneficiation and utilisation of low grade ore and rejects and recovery of associated minerals.
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