How the earth science discipline can help India to become a poverty free country

Introduction

The study of the Earth's structure, characteristics, processes, and 4.5 billion years of biotic development is known as earth science. Maintaining life on the earth requires an understanding of these phenomena. Increased resource demands, losses from natural disasters, and pollution of the air, water, and land are all results of the growing global population. Understanding the natural components and interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere from a scientific perspective is essential to sustaining our existence. Where these ecosystems collide on Earth's surface, life either thrives or perishes. The earth has provided many natural resources like minerals, mineral oil, water which can be systematically utilized to thrive humans. At present no one country is completely poverty free. Even America or Switzerland also has poverty. In 2021 the poverty rate in Switzerland was about 5.2% of the population or around 4,48,000 people from the total population of about 88,37,425. In 2021 the poverty rate in America was about 12% with 38 million people living in poverty in a population of about 33 crores. So countries are facing shortages of resources. Such resources are not well identified which they can utilize to economically develop the life of citizens. Natural resources present in those countries regions can fill those gaps of resource shortages.      

Geographic distribution of natural resources in India

India has deposits of so many natural resources (Figure 1) and occurs in many parts of the country.

Figure 1. India has deposits of so many natural resources and occurs in many parts of the country.

Coal - Coal is the most widely used fossil fuel in India. It meets a sizable portion of the country's energy requirements. It is used to generate electricity, provide energy to industries, and meet home demands. India relies heavily on coal to meet its needs for commercial energy. In India, coal is found in two different rock ages, Gondwana, which is around 200 million years old, and tertiary deposits, which are only 55 million years old. The main Gondwana coal deposits, which include metallurgical coal, are found in the Damodar valley in West Bengal and Jharkhand. Important coalfields include Bokaro, Jharia, and Raniganj. Coal resources can be found in the Godavari, Mahanadi, Son, and Wardha valleys. The states of Meghalaya, Gujarat, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland include tertiary coals.

Oil & Gas – Assam Arakan fold belt basin, Assam shelf basin, Cambay basin, Cauvery basin, Krishna Godavari basin, Mumbai offshore basin, and Rajasthan basin all contain oil and gas deposits. The oldest oil-producing state in India is Assam. The three most significant oil fields in the state are Moran, Digboi, and Naharkatiya.

Mica - The Chota Nagpur plateau's northern edge contains deposits of mica. The main producing region is in Jharkhand's Koderma Gaya-Hazaribagh belt. The primary mica-producing region in Rajasthan is located near Ajmer. Andhra Pradesh's Nellore Mica Belt is another significant producer in the nation.

Limestone - Limestone is the basic raw material for the cement industry and essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace. Limestone occurs in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and many other states.

Manganese - Nearly 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture one tonne of steel. Manganese deposits occur in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh.  

Copper - The Balaghat mines in Madhya Pradesh, Khetri mines in Rajasthan and Singhbhum district of Jharkhand are leading producers of copper.

Bauxite - Orissa is the largest bauxite producing state in India. Panchpatmali deposits in Koraput district are the most important bauxite deposits in the state. Also occurs in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh states.

Iron – The foundational resource and engine of industrial growth is iron ore. Iron ore resources are fairly plentiful in India. Iron ores of high purity are abundant in India. Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, and Jharkhand all have iron ore deposits.

India's principal iron ore belts include:

Jharkhand-Orissa belt - In the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts of Orissa, the Badampahar mines contain high grade hematite ore. Haematite iron ore is mined in the neighbouring Jharkhand districts of Gua and Noamundi.

Chhattisgarh are home to the Durg-Bastar belt. In the renowned Bailadila range of hills in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, very high grade hematites are discovered.

Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru- Tumakuru belt in Karnataka has large reserves of iron ore.

Maharashtra-Goa belt includes the state of Goa and Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

Lead and Zinc - Rajasthan is endowed with the largest resources of lead-zinc ore deposits followed by Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra.

However, there are currently no organized programmes in place that directly connect the use of natural resources with the improvement of people's economic situation. Orissa, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand are three states that provide a straightforward illustration. Despite having abundant iron ore reserves, areas like Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, Singbhum, Bastar, Narayanpur, and Dantewara are yet not well developed. This shows that there is no appropriate programme in place for these areas and their residents. A model needs to be developed and successfully proved on ground level to apply in other regions of the country.    

How mineral resources can be utilized to develop regions and their peoples

Minerals have a variety of uses as can be illustrated in Table 1. 

S.N.	Minerals/Metals/Rocks/Fluids	Uses
1	Limestone	Cement, soil conditioning, chemical, smelting
2	Coal	Power, iron & steel, cement
3	Hematite/Magnetite	Iron & steel
4	Petroleum	Fuel, plastics
5	Natural gas	Fuel
6	Clay	Cement, bricks
7	Dolomite	Cement, Iron & steel
8	Bauxite	Aluminium
9	Gypsum	Cement, plaster of Paris, soil conditioning
10	Rock phosphate	Fertilizer in agriculture
11	Lithium	Battery
12	Copper	Electrical equipment
13	Gold	Medicine, Jewelry, Coins
14	Lead	Iron & steel and pencil, others
15	Zinc	Galvanization
16	Marble	Housing tiles
17	Halite	Salt
18	Granite	Construction material, housing tiles
19	Basalt	Construction material
20	Sandstone	Construction material
21	Magnesite	Refractory material
22	Silver	Jewelry, Coins
23	Potash	Fertilizer in agriculture
24	Chromite	Iron & steel
25	Groundwater & surface water	Agriculture, drinking water, industry
26	Sulphur	Chemical, fertilizer
27	Nickel	Batteries, defense, coins
28	Cadmium	Batteries, Alloys, Nuclear reactors
29	Cassiterite	Tin used in alloys, protective coating
30	Quartz	Glass, semiconductor, gemstone, flux in smelting process
31	Flourite	Toothpaste
32	Rutile, Ilmenite	Titanium in aviation, paint
33	Manganese	Steel and ferro manganese alloy.
34	Mica	Insulating material

  Table 1. Many types of natural resources and their uses.

Minerals based industry support the most diversified industry in which most diversified educated and technically trained professionals can be employed (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Natural resources and natural resources based industry support the most diversified professionals.

Government should plan in such a way in which minimum a person from a family should be engaged in mineral based industry. Any such plan should incorporate education and training a fundamental base. District to Gram Panchayat level administration should plan with the working companies in the region. At present also minerals and minerals based industry generates a large number of employments in country. For example Coal India Limited generates about 2-2.5 lakhs employment in country.  

Groundwater & surface water resources development & management at each village level will help country to keep availability of low cost water for agriculture and will help to generate employment at village level. Low cost water availability is important for agriculture, apart from fertilizer, and food security of India. India cannot afford to import food to feed their 1.42 billion peoples so economically efficient water resource development and management is important in India.         

Conclusions

Above article clearly illustrates the significance of natural resource based industry in the development of diverse manufacturing companies and employment generation. Region wise systematic planning and execution of natural resources based industries development will help country to achieve zero poverty country.

Policy suggestions

The government should do following things under Ease of doing business.

1. Ease of selecting area & blocks and taking prospecting, exploration and mining license

2. Ease of getting blocks without auction

3. Ease of paying royalty included with addition of loss of auction money

4.  Ease of doing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and ease in having all permits

5. Ease in exporting natural resources