Heavy Mineral Mining Scenario Of India

Heavy Mineral Mining Scenario Of India

Heavy minerals in India are found in the coastal areas on the beach surfaces washed off from the waves in the ocean.

Particularly found in coasts of Odisha, Andhra Pradeshm Tamil Nadu, the East coast of Kerala and Maharashtra. There are about 5 to 6 minerals abundantly found on the Indian shores like Garnet, Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Sillimanite etc., in varying percentages.

The percentage of minerals found on one coast may vary from another coast, for instance, the beach sand of Tamil Nadu have higher percentage of Garnet while the coasts of Kerala have higher content of Ilmenite. Likewise, Odisha has more of ilmenite content and Andhra Pradesh has Ilmenite as well as Garnet content higher than other minerals.

Prior to our country’s independence, and until recently, heavy mineral mining was regulated by a government based company called IREL (Indian Rare Earths Ltd). Since the beginning of 1980, beach sand mining was open to private sector, except for mining of monazite. Since then three or four private firms have started exploiting the beach mineral sands in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari & Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu, mostly for their Garnet and Ilmenite contents.

The IREL concentrated their mining activities in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Kollam in Kerala. They mainly focussed on recovery and upgradation of Ilmenite mining, Zircon mining and Monazite. Monazite is a cerium phosphate, used mainly for extracting Thorium and Cerium oxides after 2/3 stages of processing. IRE was also selling the Garnet in the domestic market.

The following permissions are clearances are required in order to set up mining operations and processing plants for beach sand minerals in the coastal areas in India:

The opening of the mining operations for beach sand minerals in the coast and the setting up of the processing plants involves the need for following permissions/ clearances.

MINING: State Government- Grant of Mining Lease[s] for 30 years.

Indian Bureau of Mines- Approval of Mining Plans Pollution Control Board[a] Environment Clearance

[b] Consent for Establishment [c] Consent for Operation IV .State Coastal Zone Management Authority & Ministry of Environment &Forests, {MoEF}, N.Delhi Coastal Regulation Zone [CRZ} permission from the MoEF PROCESSING FACILITIES: [A]TN Pollution Control Board-

[a] Consent for Establishment under both Water & Air Acts [b] Consent for Operation under both Water & Air Acts

These clearances are to be obtained afresh, whenever there are changes in the expansion, modifications in the process etc.

[B] ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD {AERB}, Mumbai [a] Handling license for radioactive minerals [b] Training of Personnel in handling the minerals & Safety regulations VV Minerals India, a private mining manufacturer and exporter of heavy minerals in Tamil Nadu, complies with all the above licenses and has attained all the necessary permissions for setting up their mining plants.

One of the premier companies that indulge in heavy mineral mining of Garnet is V.V. Mineral. They are India’s biggest mining, manufacturers and exporters of Garnet. They have been awarded as the ‘Number One Garnet Exporters’ of our country. They also undertake Zircon mining, Rutile mining and Ilmenite mining. It is family grown business started by Mr. S Vaikundarajan, Chairman of VV Group of companies.

V. V. Mineral Blogs – http://www.vvmineralmining.blogspot.in http://vvmineral.wordpress.com http://www.vvmineral-mining.blogspot.in http://vvmineralmining.wordpress.com http://vvmineralblog.wordpress.com

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