Uttarakhand
Soapstone Mining in Bageshwar
- 22 Nov 2025
- 2 min read
Why in News?
The Supreme Court has allowed legally permitted mining operations to resume in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, observing that the High Court cannot impose a blanket ban on all mining activities when valid leases and environmental clearances exist.
- The Uttarakhand High Court in February 2025, had imposed bans across districts citing environmental harm.
Key Points
- Mining in Bageshwar:
- Soapstone mining is a major economic activity in Bageshwar, generating employment for hundreds of locals and supporting regional talc processing units.
- Soapstone (talc) mining is concentrated in areas such as Kanda, Kapkot and Vijaypur, which host some of Uttarakhand’s richest talc deposits.
- Over the last 5 years, around 18 lakh tonnes of soapstone have been extracted from Bageshwar’s mines, according to official records.
- Over-mining has led to land degradation, slope destabilisation and increased landslide risk. Riverbeds and village roads have suffered due to heavy truck movement.
- Soapstone:
- Soapstone is a soft metamorphic rock made of talc with varying amounts of chlorite, dolomite, and magnesite. .
- It is used in ceramics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paper, food processing, paints and electrical insulators.
- Major producing states include Rajasthan (largest), Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
- Uttarakhand’s deposits lie mainly in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Almora districts.
