Following the announcement that the federal government is prepared to conduct commercial exploration of the rare mineral lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka is eagerly anticipating good news regarding its lithium reserves in the Mandya district from the AMD (Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research).
India’s fortune is back: Karnataka also discovered lithium reserves
Following the hype surrounding the discovery of lithium reserves between 2020 and February 2021, there has been no progress by the relevant authorities. The latest event has given Karnataka a new cause for optimism. In the pegmatites of the Marlagalla-Allapatna area, Mandya district in Karnataka, preliminary assessments on the surface and restricted subsurface by AMD have revealed the presence of lithium deposits of 1,600 tonnes. In addition to Mandya, sources claim.
In some areas of the Karnataka district of Yadgir, AMD, a branch of the Department of Atomic Energy, is also doing lithium exploration in promising geological domains. Experts think that it is necessary to determine the project’s economic viability.
The government will benefit greatly if lithium exploration is successful because the Indian automotive industry is moving towards electric mobility. The significance and quantity of lithium deposits in the Marlagalla-Allapatna area, Mandya district, Karnataka, may only be established following the conclusion of exploration throughout the entire area, according to Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space.
He went on to say that following technical, social, and economic feasibility evaluations of the area, plans for commercial exploitation of the lithium reserves might start. The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) preliminary surveys on the surface and limited subsurface exploration have shown the presence of lithium resources of 1,600 tonnes (inferred category) in the Marlagalla area of Mandya district in Karnataka, according to the Union Minister of Mines Pralhad Joshi’s written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Revenue officers from the Mandya district performed an inspection in the areas surrounding Srirangapatna in February 2020 in light of study papers on the existence of lithium.
Afterwards, after hearing allegations of deposits covering a few square kilometres, Deputy Commissioner Venkatesh travelled to Alapatna, which is close to Srirangapatna, with other government representatives.
The authorities visited a few communities and are still awaiting additional findings from the Department of Atomic Energy and other organizations. He claimed that Atomic Minerals Directorate researchers had discovered lithium reserves close to Mandya. In a tiny area of land studied in Mandya and reported in the journal Current Science, the reserves have been calculated at 14,100 tonnes.
