EIACP PC-HuB : Tamil Nadu
State of Environment and Related Issues

Tamil Nadu is the leading holder of country's resources of vermiculite, magnetite, dunite, rutile, garnet, molybdenum and ilmenite. The State accounts for the country's 81% lignite,75% vermiculite, 69% dunite, 59% garnet, 52% molybdenum and 30% titanium minerals resources. Important minerals that are found to occur in the State are as follows:

Baxuite in Tamil Nadu

• Bauxite in Dindigul, Namakkal, Nilgiris & Salem districts; 

• Dunite/pyroxenite in Salem district; 

• Felspar in Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Namakkal, Salem & Tiruchirapalli districts;

• Fireclay in Cuddalore, Kanchipuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Thiruvallur, Tiruchirapalli, Vellore & Villupuram districts; 

• Garnet in Ramanathapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruvarur, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur & Tirunelveli districts; 

• Granite in Dharmapuri, Erode, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Salem, Thiruvannamalai, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore & Villupuram districts; 

• Graphite in Madurai, Ramnathapuram, Shivganga & Vellore districts;  

• Gypsum in Coimbatore, Perambalur, Ramnathapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi & Virudhunagar districts. Similarly, occurrences of minerals, such as

• Lignite deposits are located in Cuddalore Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam & Ramanathapuram districts; 

• Limestone in Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Kanchipuram, Karur, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Perambalur, Ramnathapuram, Salem, Thiruvallur, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Villupuram & Virudhunagar districts; 

• Magnesite in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Karur, Namakkal, Nilgiri, Salem, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli & Vellore districts;

• Quartz/silica sand in Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Madurai, Namakkal, Periyar, Perambalur, Salem, Thiruvallur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirapalli, Villupuram, Virudhunagar & Vellore districts; 

• Talc/ steatite/soapstone in Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirapalli & Vellore districts; 

• Titanium minerals in Kanyakumari, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thiruvallur, Tirunelveli & Thoothukudi districts; 

• Vermiculite in Dharmapuri, Tiruchirapalli & Vellore districts; 

• Zircon in Kanyakumari district have been established. Other minerals that occur in the State are apatite in Dharmapuri & Vellore districts; 

• Barytes in Erode, Madurai, Perambalur, Tirunelveli & Vellore districts; 

• Bentonite in Chengai-Anna district; 

• Calcite in Salem district; 

• China Clay in Cuddalore, Dharampuri, Kanchipuram, Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Thiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirapalli & Villupuram districts; 

• Chromite in Coimbatore & Salem districts; 

• Copper, lead-zinc and silver in Villupuram district;

• Corundum and gold in Dharmapuri district; 

• Dolomite in Salem & Tirunelveli districts; 

• Emerald in Coimbatore district; 

• Iron ore (magnetite) in Dharmapuri, Erode, Nilgiris, Salem, Thiruvannamalai, Tiruchirapalli & Villupuram districts; 

• Kyanite in Kanyakumari & Tirunelveli districts; 
  

• Molybdenum in Dharmapuri, Dindigul & Vellore districts; 

• Pyrite in Vellore district; 

• Sillimanite in Kanyakumari, Karur & Tirunelveli districts; 

• Tungsten in Madurai & Dindigul districts; 

• Wollastonite in Dharmapuri & Tirunelveli districts. Districtwise reserves/resources of lignite are provided

• Petroleum and natural gas deposits are located in Cauvery basin

Sources:

1. Government Of India, Geological Survey Of India, Geology And Mineral Resources Of The States Of India Part VI – Tamil Nadu And Pondicherry
2. Indian Minerals Yearbook 2011,  Government Of India Ministry Of Mines,  Indian Bureau Of Mines Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines, Nagpur – 440 00
3. Department of  Economics and Statistics, Chennai-6