The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of June 2022 at 113.4, was 7.5 per cent higher as compared to the level in the month of June, 2021, according to an official release.

As per the provisional figures of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), the cumulative growth for the period April- June 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year has increased by 9.0 per cent, the Ministry of Mines said in a release on Saturday (20 August).

According to the ministry, the production level of important minerals in June 2022 were: Coal (669 lakh tonne), Lignite (46 lakh tonne), Natural gas (utilised) (2747 million cubic metre), Petroleum (crude) (24 lakh tonne), Bauxite (1,950 thousand tonne), Chromite (343 thousand tonne), Copper concentrate (10 thousand tonne), Gold (85 kg), Iron ore (201 lakh tonne), Lead concentrate (30 thousand tonne), Manganese ore (238 thousand tonne), Zinc conc. (142 thousand tonne), Limestone (335 lakh tonne), Phosphorite (189 thousand tonne), Magnesite (8 thousand tonne), and Diamon (44 carat).

The production of important minerals showing positive growth during June 2022 over the same month last year include: Diamond (340 per cent), Gold (107.3 per cent), Phosphorite (41.0 per cent), Coal (31.1 per cent), Lignite (28.8 per cent), Zinc conc (20.0 per cent), Manganese ore (19.3 per cent), Magnesite (16.6 per cent), Bauxite (8.9 per cent), Chromite (6.5 per cent), Lead conc (4.2 per cent), Limestone 1.6 per cent), and Natural Gas (U) (1.3 per cent), the ministry said.

The production of other important minerals showing negative growth include: Petroleum (crude) (-1.7 per cent), Copper conc (-7.2 per cent), and Iron Ore (-9.7 per cent), it added.