Mains Practice Questions

Introduction:

India's mineral and energy resources are highly unevenly distributed due to its ancient and varied geological history, primarily concentrated in the Peninsular Shield areas. This distribution is a direct result of differing geological formations, tectonic events, and environmental processes over millennia.

Body:

Geographical Factors Responsible for Uneven Distribution

• Geological Age and Structure (Metallic and Non-Metallic Minerals)
  • Most metallic and high-value non-metallic minerals are products of the Pre-Palaeozoic age.
    • They are associated with the old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks of the Peninsular Plateau.
  • For instance, The Chota Nagpur Plateau (North-Eastern Belt) is rich in iron ore, manganese, and bauxite.
    • Conversely, the young fold mountains of the Himalayas have very few economically viable deposits.
• Sedimentation and Basin Formation (Coal)
  • Over 97% of India's coal reserves are concentrated in the Gondwana rock system, which formed in subsided river valleys through the accumulation and compression of ancient vegetation.
  • The majority of coal reserves are found in the valleys of the Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi, and Godavari rivers, leading to heavy concentration in Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.
• Tectonic Activity and Geosynclines (Petroleum and Natural Gas)
  • These fossil fuels are found in sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary period, typically in fault traps, anticlines, and synclines in continental margins, offshore areas, and foreland basins.
  • Major reserves are concentrated in the offshore Mumbai High, the plains of Assam (Digboi), and the sedimentary basins of Gujarat and the Krishna-Godavari basin, leaving the vast majority of the mainland deficient.
• Exclusion of Northern Plains (Alluvial Cover)
  • The vast Indo-Gangetic Plain, formed by alluvial deposits, lacks the specific geological conditions (high pressure, high temperature, tectonic stress) required for mineral formation.
  • The entire Northern Plain is virtually devoid of significant economic mineral and energy resources, forming a massive non-resource region.
• Lateritic Weathering (Bauxite)
  • The formation of Bauxite (aluminium ore) is associated with intense tropical chemical weathering on plateau and hill surfaces.
  • High-quality bauxite deposits are found in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, confining its distribution to areas with specific climate and topographical conditions.

Influence on Regional Development

• Widening Regional Economic Disparities: Mineral-deficient states (e.g., Punjab, Kerala) depend on imports from resource-rich states for raw materials and energy, incurring higher costs and impacting their industrial competitiveness, which often leads to trade imbalances between states.
• Uneven Social and Human Development
  • 'Resource Curse' Phenomenon: Paradoxically, many mineral-rich regions, particularly in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, are often inhabited by tribal populations (Adivasis) who face displacement, land alienation, and severe environmental degradation (e.g., water pollution, deforestation) due to intense mining.
  • Social Disparities: The wealth generated from minerals often fails to 'trickle down' to the local communities, leading to socio-economic inequalities, inadequate social infrastructure (education, healthcare), and social unrest in these areas.

Conclusion:

The uneven distribution of mineral and energy resources is a fixed geographical constraint that deeply entrenches regional development disparities in India. Sustainable and inclusive regional development necessitates a strategic policy shift from mere extraction to value addition, coupled with equitable resource revenue sharing (like the District Mineral Foundation), aggressive promotion of distributed renewable energy, and targeted investment in human capital and infrastructure in resource-poor regions.