Huge deposits of uranium found in Rajasthan's Sikar

After the uranium was discovered in Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, huge deposits of the mineral have recently been found in Rajasthan. In a boost to its indigenous nuclear power program, India has discovered large uranium deposits in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.

The state government has issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) of mining lease to Uranium Corporation of India for the mining of uranium ore at Rohil in Khandela tehsil near Sikar.

Uranium is considered one of the rarest minerals in the world and a valuable mineral for nuclear power. "With the progress in the uranium mining sector, new opportunities for investment, revenue and employment have opened up for the state," said Additional Chief Secretary Mines, Petroleum, DrSubodh Agrawal.

Agrawal informed that huge deposits of uranium have been found in the 1086.46-hectare area in Rohil of Khandela tehsil of Sikar district. According to preliminary estimates, about 12 million tonnes of uranium reserves are expected in this area.

The Uranium Corporation of India is likely to invest Rs 3,000 crores from which about 3,000 people will get direct and indirect employment.

So far, uranium is being excavated in parts of India, including Jadugoda and Singhbhumi in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and recently in Rajasthan. Agrawal said that after completing the necessary formalities, mining of the mineral would start in Rajasthan.

Minister of Mines and Agriculture Shri Pramod Jain Bhaya said that Rajasthan has emerged prominently on the world map. He described the decision to explore uranium as a big achievement in the mining sector of the state.

Uranium is mainly used to generate electricity. Apart from nuclear energy, uranium is also used prominently in the field of medicine, defence equipment, photography and others.

Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia are the largest producers of uranium in the world. Apart from this, uranium mineral has also been found in Niger, Russia, Namibia, Uzbekistan, US and Ukraine.