Which of the following bauxite deposit is considered as the largest one in India?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

OPSC OAS (Preliminary) Exam (GS) Official Paper-I (Held On: 15 Dec, 2024)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Panchpatmali deposit (Odisha).

Key Points

The Panchpatmali bauxite deposit in Odisha is recognized as the largest bauxite deposit in India.
It is located in the Koraput district of Odisha.
The deposit is managed by the National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), which is a public sector enterprise of the Government of India.
The bauxite mined from Panchpatmali is used as raw material for the production of alumina and aluminum.

Additional Information

Bauxite:
- Bauxite is an ore of aluminum and is composed primarily of one or more aluminum hydroxide minerals.
- It is the world's main source of aluminum and gallium.
- The most important aluminum ore, bauxite contains only 30–60% aluminum oxide (Al2O3), the rest being a mixture of silica, various iron oxides, and titanium dioxide.
- Bauxite is typically found in topsoil in various tropical and subtropical regions.
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO):
- National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) is a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India.
- Incorporated in 1981, the company is a group 'A' CPSE, having integrated and diversified operations in mining, metal, and power.
- NALCO is one of the largest integrated Bauxite-Alumina-Aluminum- Power Complex in the country.
- The company has a 68.25 lakh TPA Bauxite Mine & 21.00 lakh TPA (normative capacity) Alumina Refinery located at Damanjodi in Koraput district of Odisha.