Lithium Industry in India
Context:
- The discovery of lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir, which could be considerable, has received widespread acclaim. Lithium is a key component of the batteries used in electric vehicles and other renewable energy infrastructure.
India’s lithium industry’s current state:
- The discovery of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir may not be the country’s first instance of the element. In Mandya, Karnataka, lithium reserves weighing over 1,600 tonnes were discovered. However, up to this point, there hasn’t been a commercial supply of the metal from that location.
- Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan are just a few of the other states where the government is now conducting lithium exploration programmes.
- India currently depends on imports. India bought lithium and lithium ion worth over 14,000 crores in fiscal 2022. Future demand is probably going to skyrocket.
- The majority of the world’s lithium reserves are located in three South American nations—Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile—with 50% of the resources being concentrated there. While China controls 75% of the world’s lithium refining, it enjoys an advantage over other countries.
Lithium uses include:
- The use of lithium is widespread and is expected to rise sharply in the ensuing decades.
- In the crust of the earth, there is a soft, glossy metal called lithium. It is an alkaline metal that is quite reactive.
- It is mostly utilised in the production of aluminium, greases, medicinal compounds, air conditioners, and ceramics and glasses, among other things.
- Due to its maximum energy storage capacity per kilogramme, batteries are its primary purpose. For electric car manufacturers like Tesla, its tremendous energy storage capacity and incredibly low weight make it the ideal option.
Possession of these minerals:
- A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court of India decided in July 2013 that the land’s owner has rights over everything underground, “down to the centre of the earth.”
- Large tracts of land, however, are publicly held, including forests (which make up more than 22% of India’s landmass), hills, mountains, and revenue wasteland.
- The Supreme Court further underlined that, as is already the case with uranium under the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, the Union government could always forbid private parties from mining sensitive minerals.
- Lithium is just as significant as uranium in the modern world, if not more so.
Mine challenges for lithium:
- It may negatively affect air pollution, water pollution, and other environmental issues. It requires a lot of water to extract lithium from its ore; one tonne of lithium requires roughly 2.2 million gallons of water.
- The Himalayas are a highly vulnerable and ecologically sensitive terrain that is susceptible to the long-term negative effects of unforeseen development activities.
- In the eco-sensitive Himalayan region between J&K, mining could result in a huge loss of biodiversity.
- Since so many rivers originate in the Himalayas, any mining activity will contaminate the entire riparian ecosystem.
- The excessive carbon emissions, water use, and land use practises associated with mining and processing lithium can further imperil the availability of food.
- Lithium water-mining practises could contaminate local water basins and consume a limited supply of water intended for rural residents, animals, and crops in locations where access to clean water is already a problem.
Moving ahead:
- It is noteworthy that the appropriate growth of this industry will necessitate a very high level of effectiveness on the part of the Indian state as India investigates and develops its own lithium sources.
- A significant portion of India’s mineral wealth is extracted from areas that have extremely high rates of poverty, environmental damage, and low governance.
- If India’s development of rare minerals is to achieve its numerous goals—social well-being, environmental safety, and national energy security—effective and careful management of the industry should be of utmost importance.
