SSC
The Tummalapalle uranium reserves are located in:
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Answer: Option C — Andhra Pradesh
Detailed Solution
The Tummalapalle uranium deposit is located in the YSR Kadapa (Cuddapah) district of Andhra Pradesh.
About the Tummalapalle uranium deposit:
- It lies in the Cuddapah (Kadapa) Basin, one of the important geological basins of southern India.
- It is considered one of the largest uranium reserves in India, and it was reported to be among the largest in the world, though the ore is of low grade (low concentration of uranium).
- The uranium occurs in dolostone (dolomitic limestone) rocks.
- Its reserves were explored and estimated by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Hyderabad.
- The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) operates an underground mine and a processing plant at Tummalapalle, which started production around 2012.
- The plant uses an "alkaline pressure leaching" process, which was developed in India, to extract uranium from the low-grade ore.
- There have been local concerns about pollution of groundwater and farmland near the plant.
Other uranium deposits in India:
- Jharkhand: the Singhbhum Shear Zone has the oldest mines, including Jaduguda (India's first uranium mine, 1967), Bhatin, Narwapahar, Turamdih, Bagjata, Banduhurang (an open-cast mine) and Mohuldih.
- Meghalaya: Domiasiat and Wahkyn deposits in the West Khasi Hills; mining has been delayed due to local opposition.
- Telangana: Lambapur-Peddagattu (Nalgonda district).
- Rajasthan: Rohil deposit (Sikar district).
- Karnataka: Gogi deposit (Yadgir district).
India's nuclear fuel cycle:
- After mining, uranium ore is processed into "yellowcake" (uranium concentrate).
- The "Nuclear Fuel Complex", Hyderabad, converts it into fuel for nuclear reactors.
- India's three-stage nuclear power programme aims ultimately to use its large thorium reserves.
- India's nuclear power capacity is about 8.8 GW (2025), with a target of 100 GW by 2047 under the "Nuclear Energy Mission" announced in the 2025-26 Budget.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Jharkhand has India's oldest uranium mines, including Jaduguda.
- ✗Meghalaya has the Domiasiat uranium deposit.
- ✗Rajasthan has the Rohil uranium deposit.
Quick tip
Remember: Tummalapalle uranium = YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh (Cuddapah Basin; large but low-grade; UCIL mine and plant); Jaduguda = Jharkhand (first mine, 1967); Domiasiat = Meghalaya; Nuclear Fuel Complex = Hyderabad.
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Minerals & Energy Resources — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Minerals & Energy Resources, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's mineral resources (iron ore, manganese, bauxite, copper, mica and others) and energy resources (coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy), with their main producing regions, mines, oil fields and power plants. Questions often ask where a mineral is found, which state is the leading producer, or where an important power plant or oil field is located. For example, Jharia is known for coal, Digboi in Assam is the oldest oil field in India, and Tarapur in Maharashtra is the site of India's first nuclear power plant. Practise the minerals and energy resources questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.