Chhattisgarh is one of India’s newest and fastest-growing states, with 27 districts and six states surrounding it. The population density of the state is low. Steel, aluminum, and cement are among the state’s major mineral-based businesses. Because of its pit head power units, the state has cheap power generating costs, and its central location facilitates power transmission. The state ranks first in terms of solid labor relations and labor potentiality. Chhattisgarh is home to 44 per cent of the state’s land and 12 percent of India’s forest, which counts in the natural resources of Chhattisgarh. The lifeblood of industrial development is 11 national roads with 2225 kilometers and a well-developed internal road network.

Mineral Resources 

Chhattisgarh possesses the ideal geological conditions to support a variety of economically viable mineral resources. Multiple thermotactic events have occurred in the region, spanning major metallogenic and mineralogic occurrences. A considerable portion of the state is covered by cratons, mobile belts, and supracrustal belts, which provide an ideal habitat for a wide range of mineral deposits. Diamond, coal, iron ore, limestone, dolomite, bauxite, and tin ore are important minerals closely tied with the state’s name.

Only Chhattisgarh is an Indian state that produces tin ore. Gold and other precious metals and atomic minerals are found throughout the state, which resulted in the economic growth of Chattisgarh. Corundum, Clay, Quartzite, Base metals, Fluorite, Beryl, Andalusite, Kyanite, Sillimanite, Talc, Soapstone, and Garnet, are among the other minerals.

Iron Ore 

  • The natural resource of Chattisgarh is home to world-class iron ore resources (up to 68 per cent Fe).
  • The state has around 4031 million tonnes of high-quality hematitic iron ore, accounting for one-fifth of all Indian iron ore.
  • The state is home to Jindal Steel Power Limited, Bhilai Steel Plant, and 75 sponge iron facilities.

Bauxite 

  • The natural resource of Chhattisgarh is ~5% of the National resources of Bauxite, approximately 168 million tonnes.
  • State resources support Aluminum extraction units of BALCO in Chhattisgarh and Hindalco in U.P. 

Limestone 

  • The natural resources of Chhattisgarh contributes ~5% to the National resources with over 8959 million tonnes of Limestone.
  • 10 major cement units are operational in the State.
  • 19 Cement grade Limestone deposits of various magnitudes have been identified.

Dolomite 

  • The natural resource of Chhattisgarh has 11.37% of the total Indian Dolomite deposits with 919 million tonnes of resources.
  • Dolomite available in the State is mostly of flux and refractory grade and is used in Steel and Iron industry. 

Coal 

  • The natural resource of Chhattisgarh has 18% of the total coal deposits in India. 
  • 54912 million tonnes of Coal have been estimated in 13 Coalfields of the State occurring in Raigarh, Surguja, Korea, Balrampur, Surajpur and Korba District. 
  • Most of the Coal deposits are of power grade. NTPC and CSEB in Korba are the major producers of thermal power in the State, and a new plant, NTPC, is completed in Seepat, Bilaspur. 

Diamond 

  • Incidences of Diamond in the rivers of the natural resource of Chhattisgarh and the discovery of Diamondiferous Kimberlite in the Manipur area of Gariaband district have attracted global attention. 
  • Diamondiferous Kimberlites have been identified in the Behradih-Payalikhand area of the Gariyaband district.  

Tin Ore 

  • Chhattisgarh is the sole producer of Tin Ore in India.
  • 35.83% of the Indian Tin Ore occurs in the State, 30 million tonnes, and Tin Metal is 15487 tonnes.
  • Tin Ore occurs in the southern part of the state, in the Katekalyan and Padapur-Bacheli area of Dantewada district and Churwada, Chitalnar, Govindpal, Tongpal etc. in Sukma District.
  • A Tin smelter unit is operational in Jagdalpur. 

Water 

Water is essential for the 80 per cent of the inhabitants of Chhattisgarh who rely on agriculture for their livelihood. The available surface water is 51,200 Mcum after considering the reserve of 8,700 Mcum downstream and State usage under other inter-state agreements. Furthermore, after considering yearly feasibility, the State can use roughly 41,720 Mecum. It comprises long-term irrigation, drinking water, and industrial needs, among other things. There are also dynamic groundwater resources, with a potential of 13,678 Mecum, and surface water.

Forest 

The state’s recorded forest area (RFA) is 59,772 square kilometers, with Reserved Forest covering 25,786 square kilometers, Protected Forest covering 24,034 square kilometers, and Unclassed Forests covering 9,952 square kilometers. Under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, 3,793.05 hectares of forest land in Chhattisgarh were diverted for non-forestry activities from January 1, 2015, to February 5, 2019. (MoEF&CC, 2019). The State’s Protected Area network covers 4.93 per cent of its land area and consists of three national parks and eleven wildlife sanctuaries.

Conclusion 

Chhattisgarh is now one of the few states with excess electricity. The Korba area of Chhattisgarh is recognised as India’s electricity center. It is also one of the few states that earn from utility-based power. It is a major producer of coal, iron ore, and dolomite, among other minerals. Furthermore, the state has significant bauxite, limestone, and quartzite deposits which increased the economic growth of Chattisgarh. The state holds 35.4 per cent of India’s tin ore deposits. The only state in India that produces tin concentrates is Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh has become one of India’s most popular investment destinations. Between April 2000 and March 2020, the state (including Madhya Pradesh) attracted a total of US$ 1.43 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI).