Minerals worth ₹16,036 crore were extracted from 172 functional mines in Maharashtra in one-and-half years according to the State government data. The total value of minerals extracted during 2021-22 was ₹11,620 crore while the total value of minerals extracted during 2022-23 up to September was ₹4,416 crore. The production of coal was the highest among all the minerals followed by limestone.
During 2021-22, about 565.21 lakh MT coal worth ₹9,896 crore was extracted (about 85 per cent of the total value of minerals extracted)
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The total potential mineral area in the State is about 58 thousand sq km, which is about 19 per cent of the State’s total geographical area. Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Gondia and Yavatmal districts in Vidarbha, Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra and Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in Kokan have deposits of major minerals like coal, limestone, manganese ore, bauxite, iron ore, kyanite, fluorite (graded), chromite, etc.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had earlier hinted that the State government will encourage mining players to maximise the mining potential in the State. Shinde recently told mining sector players that the State has rich blocks of iron ores, bauxite, and manganese, and two blocks of gold have been identified. He added that districts including Sindhudurg in the Konkan region have the potential for mineral deposits and further explorations are being carried out.
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State to encourage industries
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shinde while speaking to reporters in Mumbai said that the government is going to support industries in all possible ways. “Also, we want Maharashtra to top the list of States when it comes to Foreign Direct Investments,” he said. Shinde criticised former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray saying that the majority of the projects and industries suffered due to lackluster approach of the later.