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Sonbhadra: A major mineral discovery in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district has raised hopes of large-scale industrial investment and employment generation in the region. According to a 2024 report by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), the country’s largest known deposit of aluminium silicate ore, andalusite, has been identified along the Uttar Pradesh-Jharkhand border.
The report estimates that around 114.25 million tonnes of andalusite reserves are located in Sonbhadra alone, accounting for nearly 91 per cent of the total deposit found in the region. The discovery is being seen as a significant development for India’s mineral and refractory industries.
According to the report, six new blocks of andalusite have been identified near the UP-Jharkhand border. Five of these blocks are located around Saledih-Harvariya and Phulwar in Sonbhadra, while the sixth block has been found in the Nagar-Untari region of Garhwa district in Jharkhand, with an estimated reserve of around 11.8 million tonnes.
The Geological Survey of India carried out a four-phase survey over nearly 48 square kilometres in the Kon-Windhamganj region of Sonbhadra between 2012-13 and 2020-21. The findings, based on data up to April 1, 2020, have now paved the way for further detailed study, drilling and possible commercial mining activity.
Geologists believe that the mineral-rich belt extends from the ancient rock formations of Jamtihva Nala in the Renukoot Forest Division to areas near Rajkhad and Dudhi. These rock formations are believed to be around 1.8 billion years old.
The andalusite found in the Sonbhadra-Jharkhand belt is considered commercially valuable, with its average grade estimated between 24 and 26 per cent. Apart from Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, indications of andalusite have also been found in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and parts of Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh.
Along with andalusite, the region has also shown signs of significant sillimanite reserves. Survey findings suggest that sillimanite is present in the Babhani-Bijpur region near Sonbhadra’s southern border with Chhattisgarh. The mineral belt is believed to stretch for nearly six kilometres, from Asandih in the east to Bajia village in the west, with estimated reserves of around 10 million tonnes.
Andalusite and sillimanite are important aluminosilicate minerals widely used in industries that require materials capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures. They are primarily used in the production of refractory bricks, furnace linings, ceramic products, insulators, automobile spark plugs and components used in steel, cement, glass and petrochemical industries. Transparent and coloured varieties of andalusite are also used as gemstones.
Experts believe the discovery could significantly strengthen Sonbhadra’s position as an industrial and mining hub. Professor Vibhuti Rai of Lucknow University’s Geology Department said the andalusite deposit has strong commercial potential. Once detailed surveys and formal mining processes are completed, the region could attract major investments and create new employment opportunities for local residents.
