Coal and Iron Ore
Coal and Iron Ore
Coal and iron ore are the two minerals that built Jharkhand's economy. Coal lies in the Gondwana rocks of the Damodar and Karanpura valleys, iron ore in the Singhbhum hills, and together they made the state India's steel base.
Coal — Damodar and Karanpura valleys | Iron ore — West Singhbhum | Only source of coking coal in India
Coalfields of the state
| Coalfield | District belt | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jharia | Dhanbad | India's main coking coal field |
| Bokaro | Bokaro | Feeds the Bokaro steel plant |
| North Karanpura | Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh | Largest coalfield by area in the state |
| South Karanpura | Ramgarh and Hazaribagh side | Older working field |
| Ramgarh | Ramgarh | Part of the Damodar belt |
| Giridih (Karharbali) | Giridih | Old field, good quality coal |
| Auranga and Hutar | Latehar and Palamu | Western fields |
| Rajmahal | Godda and Sahibganj | Feeds thermal power stations |
Coal facts to remember
- Jharkhand holds about 27.3 percent of India's coal reserves, the largest shareबार-बार पूछा जाता है
- Jharia is the main source of coking coal in India
- Coking coal is essential for making steel in blast furnaces
- Jharia is also known for long-burning underground coal fires
- Coal here belongs to the Gondwana system, not the younger tertiary system
- BCCL, CCL and ECL are the main public sector coal companies working in the state
Iron ore
- Concentrated in the Singhbhum hills of West Singhbhum district
- Main mines — Noamundi, Gua, Kiriburu, Meghahatuburu
- The ore is mostly high-grade hematite
- Jharkhand holds about 26 percent of India's hematite reserves
- Much of the ore is mined inside or beside the Saranda forest
- It feeds the steel plants at Jamshedpur and Bokaro
From ore to industry
| Input | Where from | Industry it feeds |
|---|---|---|
| Coking coal | Jharia | Blast furnaces at Jamshedpur and Bokaro |
| Iron ore | Noamundi, Gua, Kiriburu | Steel plants and sponge iron units |
| Limestone and dolomite | Palamu and Singhbhum side | Flux for steel making |
| Thermal coal | Karanpura and Rajmahal | Power stations of the state and beyond |
Points that get asked
- Main coking coal field — Jharia
- Largest coalfield by area in the state — North Karanpura
- Main iron ore mines — Noamundi, Gua, Kiriburu
- Type of iron ore — hematite
- Coal system — Gondwana
Two grades of coal to separate
- Coking coal — used in blast furnaces to make steel; low ash and high carbon
- Non-coking or thermal coal — burned in power stations to raise steam
- Jharia supplies most of India's coking coal; Karanpura and Rajmahal supply thermal coal
- India imports coking coal despite having Jharia, because domestic ash content is high
- This single distinction explains most coal questions in the state papers
गोंडवाना कोयला भारत का लगभग सारा व्यावसायिक कोयला देता है और झारखंड की दामोदर घाटी इसकी सबसे महत्वपूर्ण पट्टी है।
Memory hook — Do naam, do udyog — Jharia = coking coal, Noamundi = iron ore. In dono ke bina Jamshedpur aur Bokaro nahi chalte. Aur ek jod — Koyla = Gondwana.
Yahan confuse hote hain — Sabse bada aur sabse mashhoor coalfield alag hain.
✗ Jharia is the largest coalfield of Jharkhand by area | ✓ Jharia is the main coking coal field; North Karanpura is the largest by area
✗ Jharkhand ka koyla tertiary yug ka hai | ✓ Jharkhand ka koyla Gondwana yug ka hai
Exam pointer — JSSC CGL, JTGLCCE aur JKCE me coalfield-zila aur khadan-zila ka matching seedha aata hai. JPSC me Jharia ki aag, coking coal ka mahatva aur Saranda ka mudda Mains me aate hain. Do table yaad kar lo — is topic ka poora scope wahi hai.
Ek nazar me
- Coal share — about 27.3 percent of India, the largest
- Jharia — India's main coking coal field
- North Karanpura — largest coalfield by area in the state
- Other fields — Bokaro, Ramgarh, Giridih, Auranga, Hutar, Rajmahal
- Coal belongs to the Gondwana system
- Coal companies — BCCL, CCL, ECL
- Iron ore mines — Noamundi, Gua, Kiriburu, Meghahatuburu
- Ore type — high-grade hematite
- Iron ore share — about 26 percent of India
- Together they feed Jamshedpur and Bokaro