Study on Bundelkhand of Planning Commission: Aspects of Economy - Mining, Quarrying and Industries
Study on Bundelkhand of Planning Commission: Aspects of Economy - Mining, Quarrying and Industries
Mining, Quarrying and Industries
MP is rich in mineral wealth, second after Bihar. But in the
production of certain minerals it holds first position. These minerals are Lime
Stone(Chuna Pathar), Diasphore, Piarophilyte and copper ore. The first three of
it are produced in northern districts of MP. Lime stone is predominantly found
in district Satna, whose production is largest in MP. It is also available in
Panna and Chhatarpur. Its different forms like lime-kankar and calf-tufa are
found in Tikamgarh and Panna. Lime-stone is used for cement, steel and lime
industry.
Piarophilyte and diasphore are found together and are used for refractory ceramics, stoneware industry and insecticide industry. It is also used as a substitute of marble. These minerals are available in abundance in Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh.
Rock-phosphate which is used in chemical fertilizers is being mined in Chhatarpur. Bauxite is available in Satna. Berites, which is used in paint, rubber, paper, and chemical industry is ined in Tikamgarh. Clay is available in Datia, Panna, Satna and Tikamgarh. Diamond is found only in Panna.
In Satna lime-stone mining and mineral based activities are taking place at places like Naina, Madanpur, Dengarhat, Karman, Badhai, Kirhi-Argat, Hinauti, Chhibaura, Gaharwar, Sejhata, Jinne-Setpura etc. In Panna, at a place named Katan, mini cement industry is proposed. Bauxite is being mined at a place called Nato in Satna.
In Panna, diamond mining is taking place at places called Ramkhiriya, Majhgaon, Itawa and Sejdan. Piarophilyte in Tikamgarh is being mined at placed called Kari, Bari and Kheda, while at places named Garhi and Malhar in Chhatarpur. Granite is also being mined at Tikamgarh. Mining and quarrying of the stone for building materials can be widely seen in the districts of Bundelkhand.
What is worth observing is that Bundelkhand is rich in some important minerals and stones but mining and quarrying involves expoitation of wage labour and the issue of health hazard is also involved in it. Stone cutting and quarrying is under the total control of contractors, coming mostly from the upper caste and carrying the feudal relations into this business. It is hazardous and a large number of TB cases and other such respiratory diseases can be noticed among the workers involved in this business.
Large scale and organised industries are only a few in this
region. In Datia, at places like Datia and Sunari, some industries of Vanaspati
oil, cotton processing and graphite cutting are established. In Panna, perhaps
Puraina is the only place where some relatively large industries are emerging
for producing calcium carbide, oxygen gas etc. In Satna some large industries
are there, mostly for manufacturing cement and power cables, at places like
Satna, Gurdang, Maihar and Sajjanpur.In Tikamgarh, the places like Horsemau,
Pratappur and Tikamgarh itself have industries for granite cutting and polishing
refractories etc. So, in the region, large indusrtries are almost absent, except
for a few at Satna. Even these industries are based on the mining of the
available ores and minerals in the region. So, mining and quarrying are primary
activities in the region. In Tikamgarh there are 27 mines (Khadans) for
Diasphore/Piarophylite and 34 for stone-cutting. Datia has it for Kharia mitti
and quartz, while Panna has it for diamaond, building stone and fire clay.
Chhatarpur has it for Diasphore/Piarophylite, rock-phosphate, quartz granite
etc. Satna has 153 mines for lime-stone, 56 for bauxite, 69 for onkar and other
28 for ghutti. A large number of skilled and non-skilled labour is involved in
the exploitative business of mining and quarrying. It has been observed that
entrepreneurship for the establishment of cottage and village industries is very
much missing in the districts of the region. In Tikamgarh during 1995-96,
District Industry Centre and Khadi Gramodyog Department could motivate only 319
persons to start some sort of small /cottage industry. In Datia, only 101 such
persons could start some activities. In Panna, 309 persons were supported by
these institutions to start something for their livelihood. In Satna and
Chhatarpur, 537 and 148 such people, respectively, could start their own
business through the institutional support. Given the population and
requirements, such a number for so large districts is very small. At some place,
traditional cottage and small industries are dying slowly and slowly. For
example, utensil-industry of Uchhehara in Satna district is on the verge of
extinction. The utensils made up of bronze (or kansa) at Uchhehara were famous
throughout MP, UP and Bihar but due to the growing use of steel utensils,
importance of traditional utensils is waning. So, it would be no strange that
Uchhehara would be out of the utensil manufacturing map, if no protection is
given.
Overall industrial picture in Bundelkhand is not encouraging at all. Bundelkhand is rich of minerals and building stones, but people are poor because of exploitative nature of mining and hazardous nature of work involved in stone cutting and quarrying. Feudal forces are operating here again in mining. The benefits are not for poor, but for a few rich.