Chhattisgarh's Korba district lithium mine auction likely next month

In February 2023, Geological Survey of India discovered lithium in the Katghora tehsil. According to a preliminary report, lithium deposits were spread over 256.12 hectares

Delayed due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the lithium mine in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district is likely to be auctioned next month.

In March, the Ministry of Mines had floated a tender for the auction, in which several companies, such as Coal India (CIL), Vedanta, Adani Group, and Jindal Steel Power, had expressed their interests. A company from Argentina, besides Ola Electric, Shree Cement, Khanij Bidesh India, Oriental Mining & Co, Dalmia, Rungta, and UltraTech were also in the fray.

If CIL gets the licence, it will venture into mining of other minerals, besides coal.

“Because of the election Code of Conduct, the bids could not be opened and the ministry would soon initiate the process,” a senior official in the Chhattisgarh mining department said. The process is likely to be completed in the first fortnight of June, he added.

In February 2023, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered lithium in the Katghora tehsil. According to a preliminary report, lithium deposits were spread over 256.12 hectares, including 84.86 hectares of forest area.

The GSI said geochemical mapping brought out inconsistent values of lithium in seven composite samples in the Katghora area. These ranged between 82.606 and 155 parts per million.

Korba’s Katghora block may also be recommended for a composite licence, which provides a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease. It is included in the ongoing auction process of 20 mineral blocks across the country, the GSI report said.

The ministry is keen to expedite the mining activities in Chhattisgarh. Union Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao recently visited the state and asked mining and mineral industry representatives for suggestions to improve the excavation work.

Rao also asked the state officials to ensure no illegal excavation was carried out in the mines that have been closed. If minerals were found in the closed mines, the necessary process should be initiated, he had suggested.

Chhattisgarh is among the select states that has access to the District Mineral Foundations (DMF) portal. Rao said DMF should be used to increase beneficial activities and develop infrastructure on the demand of people in mining-affected areas.