Question

Name the region in which India's main coalfields are located. What is the quality of coal found here? What are its uses?

Answer 1

The Gondwana coalfields are India's largest, comprising 98% of the country's coal reserves. Gondwana coal fields span across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. These coal fields make about 4/5 of India's coal reserves.

Quality of coal discovered in India: Coal is found in two geological periods in India: Gondwana, which is over 200 million years old, and Tertiary deposits, which were discovered around 55 million years ago.

India lacks substantial resources of high-grade (90% carbon) anthracite coal. The Gondwana fields' bituminous coal (50% to 80% carbon) is predominantly available in India.

Uses: Coal is used in bulk in India in the following three ways:

1. In the production of thermal electricity.
2. For the iron and steel industry.
3. At brass foundries.