Lithium deposits have been discovered in Rajasthan’s Degana, the report said, citing state government officials. Mining and Geological Survey of India (GSI) officials claim that the deposits are more than the deposits discovered earlier in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials claim that the amount of lithium available here can meet 80 per cent of the country’s demand. In February, lithium deposits were discovered in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Geological Survey of India, the newly discovered field in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district has 5.9 million tonnes of lithium deposits.
Let us understand what it means and why it is important:
What is lithium?
Lithium is a chemical element of periodic group 1 (Ia), an alkali metal group and the lightest of the solid elements. The metal itself, which is soft, white and lustrous, as well as its many alloys and compounds, are produced on a large scale.
What is lithium used for?
According to a report by Volkswagen, the global market for lithium is growing rapidly. Annual production increased from 25,400 to 85,000 tonnes in the top producing countries between 2008 and 2018.
Mines ministry says it will complete auction of lithium reserves found in J&K later this year
Its use in electric vehicle batteries is an important growth driver. However, lithium is also used in laptop and cell phone batteries, as well as in the glass and ceramic industries, the report said.
Where is Lithium found and where does India stand now?
According to SPglobal, according to data compiled as of June 3, 2022, Bolivia had the most lithium deposits, followed by Chile, Australia, China and Argentina.
Indigenous Lithium Reserve in Tons
Bolivia 39,000,000
Chile 19,903,332
Australia 7,717,776
China 6,690,180
United States 5,762,917
India’s first major lithium discovery, along with the only other reserves of 1600 tonnes identified in Karnataka two years ago, means that India now has the fifth largest lithium reserves in the world, just ahead of the United States. Says a report in Quartz.
Until now, the country relied on Australia, Chile and Argentina for any lithium imports needed for its manufacturing sector. But because refining lithium ore into a material that can be used to make batteries is a difficult process, India will likely be dependent on imports for at least a few years, the Quartz report says.
Will there be less dependence on China?
It is claimed that there is so much lithium here that 80 percent of India’s total demand can be met from here. India is still dependent on China for lithium. Now it is believed that China’s monopoly will end and Rajasthan’s fortune will rise like Gulf countries.
Lithium deposits in Rajasthan have been found in the same Rainvet hills of Degana and its surrounding area, from where tungsten ore was once supplied to the country. During the British rule, the British discovered tungsten mineral in 1914 on the hill of Rainwat in Degana. Before independence, the tungsten produced here was used to make war material for the British Army during World War I.
After independence, it was also used in the field of making surgical instruments in the field of energy and health in the country. At that time around 1500 people used to work here. In the year 1992-93, China’s cheap export policy made tungsten coming out of here expensive. Eventually tungsten production was stopped here.
This hill, which was inhabited all the time and helped in the development of the country by supplying tungsten for years, became deserted in a single stroke. During that period, offices, houses, gardens and even schools built by officials of the GSI and other government agencies turned into ruins. Officials said that now the lithium coming out of this hill will change the fate of Rajasthan and the country.