Chhattisgarh mineral department has
located four new iron ore deposits with an estimated 71 million metric tonnes of
finest quality reserves.
The state's mineral department has
conducted a widespread survey for a year and located iron ore reserves of over
40 million metric tonnes in Iklama and Sindhari areas in Kawardha district.
About 15 million metric tonne iron ore reserves were located in Rowghat area in
hilly Bastar district, 11 million metric tonnes in forested Aridongri region in
Kanker district and about five million metric tonnes in Dantewada district's
Bailadila pockets.
Officials have also claimed that
Chhattisgarh's hilly chain, beginning from Dalli Rajhara in Durg district to
Bailadila, has two billion tonnes of iron ore stocks that alone account for
India's 18.55 percent of total iron ore reserves.