The mining sector would play a significant role in the development of the country by giving the necessary impetus to the economic growth, Regional Controller of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) Shailendra Kumar has said.
Speaking at a national seminar on the “role of critical minerals in the national development” organised by the Mining Engineers Association of India (MEAI) here on Friday, he said: “Minerals are essential for modern living and the demand for minerals found in the earth is set to increase exponentially with its demand in the manufacturing sector going up by the day”.
Critical miners were being extensively used in the manufacture of smartphones, flat-screen, defence, automobile, medical imaging, television and other electronic products, the IBM executive said, adding that China was topping the world in the exploration of minerals and its export and making huge strides in the manufacturing sector.
He exuded the confidence that the country would emerge leader in the world in the exploration of 12 critical miners used in the manufacturing sector. Stating that there was good demand for rare earth minerals such as Beryllium, Germanium, Rhenium, Tantalum and others in the manufacturing sector across the world, he stressed the need for exploration and excavation of rare earth minerals in the country and it would help realise “Make in India” possible.
There should be more explorations to attain self-sufficiency in the mining sector, particularly in exploration of critical minerals, Mr. Kumar said adding that solar power panels used in green energy generation were also manufactured by using some rare minerals available on the earth. He stressed the need for identification of critical minerals in fly-ash, the by-product of thermal power stations. He felt the need for more research on the optimum utilisation of fly ash to reduce pollution.
President of MEAI K. Madhusudhan said the country had achieved self-sufficiency in the mining of coal to meet the energy requirements and stressed the need for more research to explore minerals without causing harm to the nature.
Director (operations) of Singareni Collieries S. Chandrasekhar, former presidents of MEAI Sushil Kumar and Sanjay Patnaik, MEAI secretary general M. Narasaiah, Hari Sarvaotham, Yamuna Singh and others spoke at the meet attended by mining engineers, students and others including secretary of Hyderabad chapter B. Mahesh.