What is the importance of iron-ore? Describe the four major belts in which iron-ore is found in India.
IRON ore is the basic mineral. It is the backbone of industrial development. India is endowed with fairly abundant resource of iron-ore. India is rich in good quality iron ores.
Iron-ore belts
- Odisha (Orissa)-Jharkhand Belt: In this belt, high grade hematite ore is found in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts. In singbhum district of Jharkhand hematite iron ore is mined in Gua and Noamunchi.
- Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur Belt lies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Very high grade hematites are found in the Bailadila range of hills in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. These hills comprise of 14 deposits of super high grade of iron ore. Iron-ore from these mines is exported to Japan and South Korea.
- Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmaglur-Tumkua in Karnataka has the large reserves of iron-ore. The Kudremukh mines located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka are a 100 per cent export unit. Kudremukh deposits are known to be one of the best and largest in the world. The ore is transported as slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangalore.
- Maharashtra-Goa Belt: It includes the state of Goa and Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. The iron-ores of this belt are not of good quality. Yet they are efficiently exported. Iron-ore is exported through Marmagao port from this belt.