 The most important minerals in the state are oil and natural gas. The
ongc has carried out drilling at several sites. Two thermal power
station run on natural gas is operational in baramura hills and rokhia.
Another important mineral resource of the state is glass sand.
The ongc produced 353 mcm of natural gas from the state in 1999-2000
against 306 mcm of natural gas in 1998-99. The total estimated value of
natural gas was rs.48.91 crores in 1999-2000.
The mineral resources of any state provide a avenue for economic
development but the process of mining may have extensive impact on land,
soil and water resources. The mining projects have as a consequence
become a part of development sector requiring environmental clearance
under environmental protection act, 1986, eia notification 1994.
In tripura, the mineral resources are mainly glass sands, limestone,
plastic clay and hard rock; all of these materials are being used to a
variable degree. However, the single most important resources in the
state is oil and natural gas. Ongc or oil and natural gas corporation
has initiated massive exploration programme in the state, details of
which are dealt later.
As for the other minerals, table-1 provide an account of locations,
deposit, current uses, etc. A detail of clay deposit in Tripura has been
dealt in the state of environment report for tripura (1989). The impact
of mining and quarrying of mineral resources in Tripura has so far been
insignificant.
| |
. |
|
|
Mineral |
Location |
Uses |
|
Hard rock |
Jampui hills
Longatarai hills |
Road metals |
|
Limestone |
Sakhan & jampui range
Manpui area (990,000 t. Reserve) |
Not suitable cement
Suitable for inferior quality of lime puzzolana mix. |
|
Clay |
All over the state generally in river bank deposit
Good clay deposit in west and south region
Total 1.73 million ton deposit in four zone out of six
zones*
[*mohanpur-bamutia-kamalghat; bishramganj-bagma;
champamura-baldakhal-jogendranagar; khowai-teliamura-ampi;
santirbazar-udaipur; kumarghat and baidyathakurpara-
anandanagar-maheshkhola-dukli-sonamura area] |
Sanitary ware
Stone wares
Sewerage pipes
Electric insulator
Refractory grade. |
|
Glass sand |
Bishramganj (160,000t)
Old agartala (16,000t)
Jogendranagar (3627t)
Sekerkote (80,000t)
Dashrambari (5330t)
Mohanpur (97,875t)
Baidyathakurpara-anandanagar
Maheshkhola and dukli (na)
Total reserve 3,62,832 tonnes) |
Many uses |
|
|
|
|
|
Of the total geographical area of tripura, 76% can be marked
as of “tertiary” origin and 24% belong to quaternary period;
none of these contain any major mineral resources. A gsi
report of 1982 provide a list of non-metallic and metallic
mineral vis-à-vis their location or otherwise in tripura
(table-2) indicating the poor profile. |
|
|
|
Mineral resources potential in tripura. Table-2:
|
Sl.no. |
Mineral |
Status |
|
A. |
Non-metallic |
|
1. |
Lime stone |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
2. |
Dolomite |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
3. |
Coal |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
4. |
Clay |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
5. |
Refractories |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
6. |
Glass sand |
Good reserve, low grade |
|
7. |
Graphite |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
8. |
Fertilizer |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
9. |
Gravel sand silt |
Good reserve, low grade |
|
10. |
Building stone |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
B. |
Metallic |
|
11. |
Ferrous |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
12. |
Non-ferrous |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
13. |
Noble metals |
Commodity not located or absent |
|
|
