Signs of Potash Deposits in Satipura and Lakhasar | 09 Dec 2022

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, Additional Chief Secretary of Rajasthan Mines Department Dr. Subodh Agarwal said that there are signs of abundant storage of potash at a depth of only 500 to 700 meters in Lakhasar of Bikaner district and Satipura of Hanumangarh district of the state.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that in countries with potash reserves of the world, potash availability is seen at a depth of one thousand meters or more.
• Dr. Subodh Agarwal said that due to the signs of Sylvite and Polyhalite potash in Bikaner and Hanumangarh of the state, potash can be mined with conventional mining and solution mining techniques.
• He said that 26 borewells have been made in the 99.99 square meter area of Lakhasar in Bikaner, out of which 22 bore have been done by MECL and 4 bore by Geological Survey of India. There are signs of both types of Sylvite and Polyhalite potash.
• Apart from this, indications of potash have also been found in the exploration done by GSI in an area of 300 square meters in Satipura of Hanumangarh.
• It is known that at present the country is dependent on imports from abroad for potash fertilizer, while the process of potash mining in the state will reduce the dependence of imports from abroad and save foreign exchange.
• MECL CMD Ghanshyam Sharma said that Sylvite potash requires solution mining, whereas Polyhalite potash can be traditionally mined and both types of mining possibilities have emerged in the state.
• He said that the indication of potash exploration in the state is a growing step towards self-reliant India. Potash mining in Rajasthan will now meet the requirement of potash fertilizer for cultivation in the country to a great extent.