J&K furnishes data on status of land in Salal-Haimna
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 27: Process for auction of India’s first ever lithium deposits, discovered in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, is likely to set into motion next week with issuance of global tenders as all the required formalities in this regard have been almost completed.
Authoritative sources told the Excelsior that decks have been cleared for auction of the lithium reserves and e-tender inviting global bidders for the purpose is likely to be issued in first week of October.
Sources added that the tender will be issued by the Government of India as lithium among 24 minerals has been categorized as strategic mineral through a recent amendment in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, while the Government of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has furnished required data on status of the land in Salal-Haimna area of Reasi district where the lithium reserves have been discovered.
The Government, in February last, had made it public that first lithium deposits with an estimated reserve of 5.9 million tonnes, have been discovered in Reasi district. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in Electric Vehicle batteries, among other industries.
While elaborating, sources said that as per the data provided by the District Administration Reasi, there exist total 18913 Kanals and 17 Marlas of lithium bearing land. It includes 3929 Kanal private land, 269 Kanal and 7 Marla State land and 14715 Kanal and 10 Marla Forest land.
Besides, sources added, there exist 326 number of families , 418 residential structures, 13 number of Institutional structures and 24239 trees in the said area.
Latest data on the land status was yesterday furnished by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to Union Ministry of Mines, which will invite bidders for the auction.
Upon successful completion of the auction, the Central Government shall intimate the details of the preferred bidder in the auction to the J&K Government. The exploration license shall be granted by the Government of J&K to such preferred bidder in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government. The exploration license shall be granted for a period of five years from the date of execution of the exploration license.
It may be recalled that Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, had carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration project during Field Season 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district and estimated an inferred resource (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore. The Government was actually looking for limestones that are available in Jammu Kashmir and during exploration, limestone, bauxite and lithium together were found.
The processing and refining methods for lithium ore can vary depending on the type of lithium deposit, the characteristics of the ore, and the intended end-use of the lithium compounds. According to the Government, India is capable of developing technologies for beneficiation of lithium ore to lithium mineral concentrate. Successful experimentation has been done for extraction of lithium from mineral concentrate in laboratory scale.
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