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Question
Name the region in which India's main coalfields are located. What is the quality of coal found here? What are its uses?
Solution
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:
- In the production of thermal electricity.
- For the iron and steel industry.
- At brass foundries.
