Natural resources are useful raw materials that we get from the Earth. They occur naturally, which means that humans cannot make natural resources. Instead, we use and modify natural resources in ways that are beneficial to us. The materials used in human-made objects are natural resources.
Coal reserves : India has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world. As on 31 March 2015, India had 306.6 billion metric tons (338.0 billion short tons) of the resource. The known reserves of coal rose 1.67% over the previous year, with the discovery of an estimated 5.04 billion metric tons (5.56 billion short tons). The estimated total reserves of lignite coal as on 31 March 2015 was 43.25 billion metric tons (47.67 billion short tons). The energy derived from coal in India is about twice that of the energy derived from oil, whereas worldwide, energy derived from coal is about 30% less than energy derived from oil. Coal deposits are primarily found in eastern and south-central India. Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra accounted for 99.08% of the total known coal reserves in India. As on 31 March 2015, Jharkhand and Odisha had the largest coal deposits of 26.44% and 24.72% respectively .
The top producing states are:
- Odisha
- Chhattisgarh
- Jharkhand
Other notable coal-mining areas are as follows :
- Singarenicollieries in Bhadradi district (Old Khammam District), Telangana
- Jhariamines in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand
- Nagpur& Chandrapur district, Maharshtra
- Raniganjin Bardhaman district, West Bengal
- Neyvelilignite mines in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu
- Singrauli Coalfieldand Umaria Coalfield in Madhya Pradesh
Oil reserves : India had about 750 Million metric tonne of proven oil reserves as April 2014 or 5.62 billion barrels as per EIA estimate for 2009, which is the second-largest amount in the Asia-Pacific region behind China. Most of India’s crude oil reserves are located in the western coast (Mumbai High) and in the northeastern parts of the country, although considerable undeveloped reserves are also located in the offshore Bay of Bengal and in the state of Rajasthan. The combination of rising oil consumption and fairly unwavering production levels leaves India highly dependent on imports to meet the consumption needs. In 2010, India produced an average of about 33.69 million metric tonne of crude oil as on April 2010 or 877 thousand barrels per day as per EIA estimate of 2009. As of 2013 India Produces 30% of India’s resources mostly in Rajasthan.
India’s oil sector is dominated by state-owned enterprises, although the government has taken steps in past recent years to deregulate the hydrocarbons industry and support greater foreign involvement. India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is the largest oil company. ONGC is the leading player in India’s upstream sector, accounting for roughly 75% of the country’s oil output during 2006, as per Indian government estimates. As a net importer of all oil, the Indian Government has introduced policies aimed at growing domestic oil production and oil exploration activities. As part of the effort, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas crafted the New Exploration License Policy (NELP) in 2000, which permits foreign companies to hold 100% equity possession in oil and natural gas projects. However, to date, only a handful of oil fields are controlled by foreign firms. India’s downstream sector is also dominated by state-owned entities, though private companies have enlarged their market share in past recent years.
The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR) is an emergency fuel store of total 5 MMT (million metric tons) or 36.92 MMbbl of strategic crude oil enough to provide 10 days of consumption which are maintained by the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited.
Strategic crude oil storages are at 3 underground locations : in Mangalore, Visakhapatnam and Padur(nr Udupi). All these are located on the east and west coasts of India which are readily accessible to the refineries. These strategic storages are in addition to the existing storages of crude oil and petroleum products with the oil companies and serve in response to external supply disruptions .
In the 2017-18 budget speech by the Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley, it was announced that two more such caverns will be set up Chandikhole in Jajpur district of Odisha and Bikaner in Rajasthan as part of the second phase. This will take the strategic reserve capacity to 15.33 million tons.
Apart from this,India is planning to expand more strategic crude oil facilities in second phase at Rajkot in Gujarat, Padur in and Udupi district of Karnataka.
(5) Natural gas reserves : Natural gas consists primarily of methane .Propane , butane, pentane and hexane are also present . KG basin, Assam, Gulf of Khambhat, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, Barmer in Rajasthan etc. are natural gas reserves of India.
All the materials and energy essential for the survival and welfare of living beings including humans-are provided by nature. They are called natural resources.
A thing becomes resource only when it is used by humans to perform a function. Man lives in nature and depends on the resources of nature.
The sustenance and welfare of mankind depend upon the exploitation of different natural resources. The utilization of soil, water minerals, coal, electricity, oil, gas and nuclear energy is very important for the development of nation These resources have changed the level of living standard of man.
Earth’s supply of raw mineral resources is in danger. Many mineral deposits that have been located and mapped have been depleted. As the ores for minerals like aluminum and iron become harder to find and extract, their prices skyrocket. This makes tools and machinery more expensive to purchase and operate.
Large-scale exploitation of minerals began in the Industrial Revolution around 1760 in England and has grown rapidly ever since. Technological improvements have allowed humans to dig deeper and access lower grades and different types of ore over that time.Virtually all basic industrial metals (copper, iron, bauxite, etc.), as well as rare earth minerals, face production output limitations from time to time, because supply involves large up-front investments and is therefore slow to respond to rapid increases in demand.
The major causes of resource depletion are listed below:
Overpopulation
With increasing population, demands of the country increase which further results in depletion of resources.
Over-consumption and waste
As the standards of living of people improves, they tend to consume more and waste even more.
Deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems
Forests are cut annually, to make space for multiplexes, residential complexes etc. This not only destroys trees (and wood as a resource) but also destroys home of thousands of species of animals.
Mining
Mining of Minerals and Oil-Minerals and metals are in high demand in today’s world. This is a very big problem as ores are being depleted day by day.
Technological and industrial development
Technology advances and so the need of resources increases.
Soil erosion
Because of deforestation, soil erosion takes place. Thus, soil gets devoid of important minerals and resources.
Pollution and contamination of resources
Water pollution, soil pollution is increasing at an alarming rate today due to negligent attitude of people towards the environment. Pollution has a direct effect on contamination of resources available in nature.
Conservation of mineral resources
Minerals are non-renewable resources. They cannot be replenished and their new reserves created once these are depleted. Also these are earthly treasure which belongs to entire mankind of present and future generations.
They have decisive role cultural, social and economic development of’ mankind. We have moral and social obligations conserve them, avoid their misuse and wastage a: preserve them for use in future.
This could only’ possible through the adoption of conservation techniques. In India conservation strategy is more important because of the scarcity of certain important minerals which need conservation and new technological revolution currently going on in the count’ which will evolve better mining and processing technology in future for judicious exploitation mineral resources.
According to an estimate in will be depleted of coking coal in 13 years, now coking coal in 116 years, copper in 36 years, and high medium and low grades of iron ores in 32 years, 18! years and 68 years respectively, bauxite in 30 ye lead in 38 years, manganese in 31 years, zinc in years, gold in 10 years and limestone in 446 yean Our position is already critical in respect of energy resources like petroleum. This is an alarming signal which needs judicious conservation policy. Somehow the suggested measures are as follows:
- New researches should be undertaken it find out and develop ‘replacement minerals’ for us in place of scarce minerals which are in short supp| and are going to be depleted soon.
- Researches should also be carried on td develop new technology which should avoid west age and promote maximum utilisation of by-products.
- There should be curbing on wasteful minim methods. Miners should be imparted training to adopt new techniques of mining, use latest technology and machines and take maximum precaution’ cause little damage to the environment.
- There should be proper development of infrastructural facilities in mining areas, suite location for processing plants and refineries and encouragement to private sectors to establish re] search units and adequate provision for financial support and loans.
- Processing plants should invariably be coated in mining areas to reduce transport cost. In case of weighty materials like coal it is better to convert it into coking coal or in electricity near the pit heads.
- There is a great scope for the expansion of several mineral-based industries which open new vista for economic development.
- New explorations should be carried on to find out locations and new areas of minerals using latest technology. In case of India sea floor exploration and mining may yield good dividend.
- In conservation policy emphasis should be placed on sustainable mining. Similarly more reliance should be placed on the exploitation and utilisation of such mineral resources which are renewable and are in plenty.