For the first time, lithium reserves have been found in India by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The Ministry of Mines said that Lithium inferred resources (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes, were established in the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir (UT).

It further said that 51 mineral blocks, including Lithium and Gold, were handed over to respective State Governments. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the essential components in EV batteries.

Out of these 51 mineral blocks, 5 blocks pertained to gold and other blocks pertained to commodities like potash, molybdenum, base metals, etc., spread across 11 states of Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The blocks were prepared based on the work carried out by GSI from field seasons 2018-19 to till date.

Apart from these, 17 reports of coal and lignite with a total resource of 7897 million tonnes, were also handed over to the Ministry of Coal. Seven publications on different themes and intervention areas in which GSI operates were also released during the meeting.

“Lithium falls in the critical resource category which was not earlier available in India, and we were dependent on its 100 percent import. The G3 (advanced) study of the GSI shows the presence of best quality lithium in abundant quantity in the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Salal village (Reasi),” J-K Mining Secretary Amit Sharma told PTI.