
BHUBANESWAR: The Geological Survey of India on Sunday said there are chances of lithium deposits in Nayagarh and other districts of the Eastern Ghats belt of Odisha, though it is yet to be confirmed.
Talking to mediapersons during the 64th Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan here, deputy director general of GSI Pankaj Kumar said exploration activities need to be conducted to establish the critical mineral wealth in the region. “It would be too early to speak on it until more exploration is done and presence of lithium deposit in the belt is confirmed,” he said.
Kumar said Odisha is being given high priority in mineral exploration in the country. The state is already included in the pilot project of drone mapping for mineral exploration. “The project has been piloted only in two states - Odisha and Rajasthan. It is being implemented in the Mayurbhanj district. If found useful, the technology will be used in other mineral exploration projects,” he added. The CGPB meeting was crucial ahead of the two-day ‘Mining Ministers’ Conference’ in Konark on January 20 and 21 which would be a key platform for discussing the future of India’s mineral sector. Union minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy will preside over the conference. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will grace the inaugural session as the chief guest.
Union mines secretary and CGPB chairman VL Kantha Rao said they have already auctioned two critical mineral blocks of graphite in the state in the last 12 months and also readying report for another 13 to 15 critical mineral exploration projects for future auction.
“The meeting of the Board in Odisha is also significant considering the fact that around half of the mining in the country is done here,” Rao said.
The mines secretary said there is an urgent necessity for critical minerals in the country due to their use in a variety of products, including solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. The issue was discussed during the meeting attended by geological scientists, technical experts of centre and states, government and industry representatives and other stakeholders, he said.
He informed that formation of the proposed Critical Mineral Mission, an initiative to secure critical minerals for country’s economic growth, is also in the final stages.
The proposed annual programme for the field season year 2025-26 was presented by the GSI before the CGPB during the meeting. Officials said a major focus in the annual programme will be on projects targeting exploration of key minerals such as REE, RM, graphite, lithium, vanadium, and PGE. Around Rs 300 crore will be spent for exploration of critical minerals across the country including Odisha in 2025-26, they said.