State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 22 Nov 2025

Soapstone Mining in Bageshwar

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.