GSI to provide geological reports of 18 mineral blocks this month

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will provide geological reports of 18 mineral blocks to states this month and 13 more mines by the end of next year.

The development comes as part of the government's plans of auctioning a little over 100 mineral blocks in the ongoing fiscal.

The GSI recently informed the Centre that it "will provide geological reports to the states for 18 blocks by December 2018 and 13 more blocks by December 2019," an official said.

The list of 18 mineral blocks consists of seven copper blocks in Rajasthan and Haryana, three iron ore blocks in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, two gold blocks in Karnataka, two manganese blocks in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, three limestone blocks in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka and one bauxite block in Kerala, the official said.

Earlier this year, GSI said that it was working on 34 project areas for search of minerals in the country's eastern region, which is rich in mineral deposit.

The GSI has been operating in eastern states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.

Last month, the GSI said it has found 44 new coal blocks in four states in eastern region.

Spread across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha, the estimated coal resource of these 44 new blocks is close to 25,000 million tonne, it had said.

The main functions of the GSI relate to creation and updation of national geo-scientific information and mineral resource assessment.

The government, so far, has auctioned 50 mines, including 23 limestone, 17 iron ore, 4 gold, 2 each of manganese and graphite blocks and one bauxite and diamond block each.