Jaipur: A study of marble waste dumps in Rajasthan has indicated the presence of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, chromium and gallium, prompting the state govt to expand scientific assessment of mining waste across several districts.The findings emerged from a pilot project undertaken by the mines department in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Exploration Trust (RSMET) and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. The project seeks to determine whether mineral dumps and mine tailings, currently lying unused, contain commercially recoverable quantities of critical and strategic minerals.Under the pilot, the department identified 78 mineral dumps and grouped them into clusters for assessment. One cluster, comprising eight pink marble dumps and two green marble (serpentinite) dumps in and around Udaipur, was selected for detailed study.A senior official said, “The assessment found notable concentrations of nickel, cobalt, chromium and gallium in the sampled material.”Preliminary estimates suggest that the concentration of these minerals in the studied dumps is 25 to 40 times higher than their average occurrence in the Earth’s crust. However, further studies will be required to determine the extent of recoverable reserves and their commercial viability.The remaining 68 dumps and tailings identified under the project are also being assessed with technical support from IIT-ISM Dhanbad. The exercise includes geo-referenced mapping, sampling, extraction studies, mineralogical analysis and resource estimation.“The survey is expected to help identify the presence of minerals such as tungsten, lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements in mining waste deposits across the state,” the official said.The identified dumps are spread across Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, Salumber, Rishabhdeo, Ajmer, Beawar, Sawar, Nagaur, Sirohi, Jodhpur, Balesar, Sojat City and Jalore.Officials said the initiative is aligned with the Centre’s National Critical Mineral Mission, which aims to promote the exploration and development of critical and strategic mineral resources. The findings could open new avenues for recovering valuable minerals from mining waste while reducing the environmental footprint of mineral extraction.
