Currently the stress is on using alternative sources of energy and understandably so. Hence, subsidies are being given to vehicles which run on electric batteries. Many companies are looking to enter into the EV market and there are considerable options available.
The batteries which use Lithium, a cosmic metal, has to be imported from other countries till now and discovery of this metal in J&K opens a whole new door of opportunities.
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In a first, deposits of lithium were found in the Reasi district of J&K and this will potentially reduce the prices of the EV vehicles produced in the country. Reasi, a district based in the hilly region, falls on the way from Jammu to Katra where one has to take a left on the Old Mughal road.
The district has a hydropower project at Salal and has recently come to attention when Konkan Railway successfully built the world’s highest rail bridge, even taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower. Goat farming and salt mining are traditional occupations here and there are no concrete roads to go to the villages which are hiding in the hills. The electricity does not exist and the people depend on springs for water. Schools are merely 5 to 10 kms from the main road and only a handful of students make an effort to climb down the hills to go to the schools.
It would not be surprising if they do not consider education all that important. The face of this nature-rich region will change drastically once the lithium mines open here. In fact, the basic necessities such as electricity, water and roads will be finally available for the locals.
The lithium find holds the power for the Reasi’s development. The Ministry of Mines declared that the reserve, which is claimed to be about 5.9-million ton, was found by the Geological Survey of India. As per the framework classification laid by the United Nations, pre-survey is categorised as Fossil Energy and Mineral Resources. The pre-survey conducted in Jammu and Kashmir revealed that apart from lithium, bauxite and some other minerals were also found in the region.
Although lithium has been discovered, one has to consider two possibilities. One, the respective discovery has been termed as approx or potential. Geologists divide the discovery of minerals into three categories. The estimate of the total reserve, reserve’s quality and the type of mineral depends on the primary study which is conducted by drilling and digging system. Two, the reserve claimed to be found in Reasi is less compared to the reserves found in the rest of the world. Bolivia with 21 million ton leads the pack followed by Argentina with 17 million ton, Australia with 6.3 ton and China with 4.5 ton. Although the reserve found in India is way less, it would prove to be the biggest gift for the Reasi region. The recent presence of the railroad in the hills of Reasi has made the transport convenient to the locals. This has given a boost to the turnover at local level at least to some extent but there is no major scope for employment for the people yet.
If lithium mines start operating here then the officials would arrive to work here. They would require milk, vegetables and other groceries which could be produced at local level with the help of the government. This would also encourage locals to buy their own vehicles for the transportation of lithium. A major economy based on mines will take shape in the region and the place which has stayed neglected till now will be brought to the light. After the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was built passing through Udhampur, Reasi that lies on Old Mughal road stayed neglected. The lithium in the country is entirely imported and previous attempts were made to mine the metal from the underground of the reservoirs in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Similar efforts were made in the mica belts of Odisha and Chattisgarh as well. The country is currently almost entirely dependent on China for lithium and its raw material import. India has relatively been behind compared to other countries to discover the rare metal but the discovery has happened at a crucial time. The year 2023 is regarded as important for the advancement in battery technology. Between the financial years of 2017 to 2020, a staggering 165+ crores of lithium batteries were imported in the country. The total expenditure of this import goes well above $3.3 billion and the lithium find will strengthen the Atma Nirbhar Bharat program of the government.
