CIL, Vedanta, Adani eye lithium mining rights in Chhattisgarh's Korba

In February 2023, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered lithium in the Katghora tehsil of Korba district

Several companies, such as Coal India, Vedanta Limited, Adani Group, and Jindal, have expressed interest in survey and excavation of the lithium mine discovered in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district, a senior mining department official said.

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.

If it gets the licence, Coal India will also venture into mining of other minerals. Ola Electric, Shree Cement, Khanij Bidesh India Limited, Oriental Mining & Co pvt, Dalmia, Rungta, and UltraTech have also shown interest, the officer said. 

According to GSI, geochemical mapping brought out inconsistent values of lithium in the seven composite samples in the Katghora area. These range from 82.606 to 155 ppm (parts per million).

The Katghora block may 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.