Minerals

Jhamarkotra is the country's largest rock phosphate deposit. Matoon, Kanpur, Dhol ki Pati and Dakankotra in Udaipur also carry the mineral. Rajasthan's total rock phosphate resources are assessed at about 98.64 million tonnes.

The belt runs from Gam Gurha in Rajsamand to Bubani and Muhami in Ajmer. Rajgarh, Tikhi and Kalaguman are the leading emerald localities in Rajsamand. Occurrences along the belt are sporadic and variable.

Ajmer leads feldspar production in Rajasthan. The state holds about 87.94 million tonnes of resources and is a major producer nationally. Bhilwara, Rajsamand, Pali, Tonk and Sikar are the other important producing districts.

Rajasthan holds about 82 per cent of India's gypsum resources, totalling 1055.55 million tonnes. Its share of national output is a separate and higher figure at roughly 99 per cent.

All of India's selenite output comes from Rajasthan. Gypsum in the state occurs in Bikaner, Nagaur, Barmer, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Shri Ganganagar and Jalore districts.

The Kalyanpur to Rajmahal belt in Tonk yields the gem variety of garnet. The abrasive variety comes from Bhilwara and Rajsamand. Garnet deposits in the state extend over a strike length of about 250 km.

Mando ki Pal and Kahila lie in Dungarpur, where 0.7 million tonnes and 2.5 lakh tonnes of fluorite resources have been proved. Karaka in Jalore holds a further 0.07 million tonnes.

The belt lies in Jaisalmer and runs through Sam, Khuiyala, Sanu, Khinya, Khinsar, Rata and Mandha. Rajasthan holds about 21,660 million tonnes of limestone resources of all grades.

Extensive wollastonite deposits lie near Khila and Khera-Uparla across Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur districts. Low grade wollastonite of about 1.66 million tonnes occurs at Gola Alipura and Rupnagar in Ajmer.

Relpatliya in Udaipur holds about 1 million tonnes of barytes carrying 80 to 95 per cent BaSO4. Rajasthan's total assessed barytes resources stand at 2.99 million tonnes.

Palana and Barsinghsar in Bikaner support a lignite-based power plant, as does Gurha in the same district. Lignite is also worked at Giral and Kapurdi-Jalipa in Barmer and at Matasukh-Kasnau-Igiyar in Nagaur.

Rajasthan's lignite lies in Tertiary formations of Middle Eocene age spread over roughly 70,000 sq km. These fall in the Barmer-Sanchore, Jaisalmer and Nagaur basins.

These evaporites cover about 30,000 sq km. The Satipura, Bharusari and Lakhasar sub-basins together hold an estimated 2,476.58 million tonnes at a 3 per cent K cut-off grade.

Belka Pahar and Khila in Sirohi carry about 0.88 million tonnes of calcite, while Dhinkali and Rabcha in Udaipur hold 0.40 million tonnes. Rajasthan's total calcite resources are assessed at 10.39 million tonnes.

Lathi in Jaisalmer holds about 7.5 million tonnes of silica sand of all grades. Jhir, Khori and Nimora in Jaipur yield sand with 97.9 per cent SiO2. Rajasthan's total resources stand at roughly 332.46 million tonnes.

Dagotar and Geejgarh lie in Dausa. Gogunda, Parsola and Jadol in Udaipur, along with Deval and Simalwara in Dungarpur, are the other leading soapstone localities in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is the country's leading cement producer. It has 23 major cement plants with an installed capacity of 55 million tonnes a year. Cement grade limestone is found in 25 districts of the state.

Nal, Kolayat and Barsinghsar are in Bikaner. Rajasthan holds about 432.51 million tonnes of china clay, 66.42 million tonnes of fire clay and 31.81 million tonnes of ball clay.

Siliceous earth occurs in Barmer and Jaisalmer districts, with resources assessed at about 10 million tonnes. Sajit, Babrasar and Mati Ka Gol are its other known localities.

This deposit is in Chittorgarh. Mandal and Koshithal in Bhilwara hold 20 and 28 million tonnes respectively. Rajasthan's total dolomite resources are assessed at 599.40 million tonnes.