Minerals in Himachal Pradesh
The state of Himachal Pradesh with numerousglaciers, a large network of perennial streams/rivers,extensive vegetative cover has following naturalresources. Nearly the entire area of Himachal Pradeshhas been covered by systematic geological mappingwith the reported occurrence of a number of nonmetallic,metallic and other minerals. A variety ofminerals are known from the state but for limestone/dolomite, baryte and gypsum, all others are ofacademic significance.
Nature has endowed Himachal Pradesh with a number of important minerals such as, salt, gypsum, clays, mica, limestone, barytes, iron, pyrite and lead, but of these salt and limestone and slate are of significance. The deposits of slate are found in Mandi, Kangra and Chamba district. Rock salt deposits are located in Mandi district at Gumma and Darang.
Gypsum is found in Sirmaur district. The limestone which is useful raw material for cement industry is found in abundance in Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Mandi and Solan district. In recent survey uranium deposits have been reported in Kullu and Hamirpur districts. Since a long time ONGC has been making efforts to locate combustible gas at Jawalamukhi (Kangra) and DeotSidh (Hamirpur).
The list of Minerals in Himachal Pradesh
ASBESTOS
Kangra District
Small occurrence of asbestos of uneconomicnature occurs in a nala south east of Kami village (32°12’: 78°07’).
Mandi District
The highly weathered basaltic rocks of DarlaVolcanics exposed along the right bank of a smallnala flowing between Ardhi and Badsar contain verythin fibres of asbestos.
Shimla District
Chrysotile asbestos was observed by CaptainPalmer in association with a dolerite dyke on the Shaliridge, north of Shimla. The fibres reach upto a lengthof 3.5 cm.
BARYTE
Kinnaur District
Snow white, massive to cryptocrystalline barite occurs as epigenetic hydrothermal veins andquartz-baryte lenses in the light grey quartzite ofTiwari Formation near Arsomang, AlingdarandManglaThach.
Lahaul and Spiti DistrictLenses and bands of baryte in the purple quartziteand shale have been reported from area NW ofTarikhango pass.
Shimla District
Thin veins of barite are found associated withlimestone at Naldera near Shimla.
Some other Minerals in Himachal Pradesh are summarised below on the basis of location.
‘Albite-Anorthite Series’
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Anatase
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
‘Chlorite Group’
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Chromite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
‘Clinopyroxene Subgroup’
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Copper
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Diopside
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
‘Glass’
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Ilmenite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Iron
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Iron var: Kamacite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Isocubanite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Kyanite
Localities: Bhabeh, Bashahr district, Himachal Pradesh, India Kanaur, Bashahr district, Himachal Pradesh, India
‘Limonite’
Localities: Region of Kungri, Pin valley, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India
Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Mackinawite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Merrillite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
‘Olivine’
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
‘Orthopyroxene Subgroup’
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Pyrite
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Quartz 
Localities: Region of Kungri, Pin valley, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India
Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaBashir, Banjar, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Quartz var: Rock Crystal
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Quartz var: Smoky Quartz
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Rutile
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Siderite
Locality: Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India
Taenite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Troilite
Locality: Dhurmsala meteorite, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
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