A recent Geological Survey of India study has indicated the presence of lithium – a widely used metal in the production of glass, aluminum products and batteries – in some districts of Odisha, a senior GSI official said on Sunday.Lithium reserves have earlier been found in parts of Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir, he said.“As such there is no major finding, but there are some indications of lithium presence (in Odisha). We are in a very preliminary stage, and therefore, should not make any claim. However, speaking geologically, some indications are there in the Eastern Ghat belt like in Nayagarh,” Deputy DG of GSI Pankaj Kumar said.“If Lithium is found in Odisha, it can pave the way for the establishment of electric vehicle manufacturing units in the state,” an official said.Speaking to reporters, Union Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao said the GSI is conducting surveys of mineral deposits in Odisha through various methods, including the use of drones.The scientific agency has also started using artificial intelligence along with drones to locate valuable mineral resources, including lithium and copper, he said.“Through the use of drone-based technologies, things are getting easier and faster now,” Rao said.“On a pilot basis, we have undertaken two projects in India. One is in Rajasthan and another in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district,” he said, adding, mineral survey activities will also be intensified in districts where mining operations were halted for many years.Odisha’s mining operations have become a model for the entire country, he said.
