Auction of lithium reserves found in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi will be started by December, said Secretary Ministry of Mines Vivek Bharadwaj.
Speaking at an industry event on Tuesday, the secretary said the ministry has written to J&K administration for the transaction advisor for the lithium auction.
“We have been lucky to discover 5.9 million tonnes of Lithium. We were actually looking for limestones which are available in Jammu Kashmir. We found limestone, bauxite and lithium together. There has been renewed interest in exploration in these minerals,” he said.
In February of this year, the central government announced that 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves had been discovered for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal that is used in EV batteries as well as other industries.
“Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration project during Field Season 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir and estimated an inferred resource (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore and the report has been handed over to the Government of Union Territory of J&K,” the Ministry of Mines earlier said.
The Geological Survey of India proposes more exploration activities in J&K for identifying lithium resources.
