Auction of lithium reserves found in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi will be started by December, said Secretary Ministry of Mines Vivek Bharadwaj.
Speaking at an industry event on May 2, the secretary said the ministry has written to Jammu & Kashmir administration for the transaction advisor for the lithium auction. “We have completed the consultation process with stakeholders on the amendment of the offshore Mining Act. Hopefully, we will soon bring it in the parliament for discussion,” Vivek Bharadwaj said.
“We have been lucky to discover 5.9 million tonnes of lithium. We were actually looking for limestones which are available in Jammu & Kashmir. We found limestone, bauxite and lithium together. There has been renewed interest in exploration in these minerals,” he said.
The Central Government in February this year said that 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves had been found for the first time in the country in Jammu & Kashmir.
Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries, among other industries.
“Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration project during Field Season 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir and estimated an inferred resource (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore and the report has been handed over to the Government of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir,” the Ministry of Mines earlier said.
The Geological Survey of India proposes more exploration activities in Jammu & Kashmir for identifying lithium resources.
(with inputs from ANI)
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