The Truth of Lithium in Jammu & Kashmir — a Boon or a Curse?
Lithium is the metal the world will need the most if all countries want to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
You see, most of these harmful emissions, like carbon dioxide and methane, are generated when we burn fossil fuels. And if we want to seriously cut down on emissions, we need to get rid of fossil fuels, plain and simple.
That means we have to make the switch to alternatives like electric cars and renewable energy.
Now that's where lithium comes in. Lithium-ion batteries are the powerhouse behind electric cars and can store energy from multiple sources for later use. So if we want to move towards sustainable energy, we need more of that lithium goodness.
But why lithium? you might ask.
For starters, this metal is actually the lightest on the planet, which makes batteries much lighter and it won't weigh down your car, plus lithium batteries can store a lot of energy in a smaller amount of space.
To put this in perspective, a typical lead acid battery stores only 25 watt hours of energy per kilogramme, but the lithium ion batteries pack about 150 watt hours per kilogramme.
Not just that, lithium batteries also have a much longer lifespan than other types of batteries and can endure multiple charge cycles. And with everyone aiming for net zero emissions, it's pretty clear that lithium is about to be in red-hot demand.
And the countries that already have a lot of lithium reserves are probably drooling over the potential advantage that they have, and that includes India, which heavily relies on lithium imports from China and other countries. As per the data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries. The countries spent about 163 billion rupees importing lithium from April to December 2022.
The MD of a lithium ion battery maker from Gujarat, stated that if this metal is available domestically, the cost of battery production could reduce by 5% to 7%.
Currently, India imports all of the major components for lithium ion cell manufacturing, and a stable domestic supply could help avoid price fluctuations due to geopolitical and supply chain issues that often affect import-dependent markets.
As India aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, the demand for lithium is set to rise, with a higher need for this metal for electric vehicles and clean energy storage devices. The country's ambitious plans could increase the demand further.
Niti Aayog estimated that total EV sales are expected to reach 80 million units by 2030, up from the 1.3 million sales reported through July 2022.
So for all these purposes, it is important for India to secure its energy requirements, and in a major breakthrough, the Indian government announced on February 9 that they had discovered a whopping 5.9 million metric tonnes of lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir. This will position India among the top five countries with significant lithium deposits.
And all of a sudden, social media and newspaper headlines are shouting about how India is going to be an electric vehicle powerhouse, thanks to these new lithium deposits. They're even talking about exporting it to the rest of the world.
But the real question is: can it really happen?
There are a couple of things we need to address here. First off, we're not even sure if these deposits are economically viable yet. And the estimate of 5.8 million metric tonnes is just a preliminary one. You see, when it comes to mineral deposits, we have to go through different levels of evaluation, starting with G4, which is reconnaissance, and ending with G1, which is detailed exploration.
The Geological Survey of India mapped these lithium deposits in the region in 1999 , which is the first step in G4 .
The next phase is G3 , which is prospecting, where inferred resources are calculated based on geological, geophysical, and geochemical results.
The next stage is G 2, which is general exploration, where more studies are done to estimate the minerals' shape, size, and grade.
And finally, in the G1 stage , which is detailed exploration, the characteristics of the deposits are established with a high degree of accuracy. The current stage of lithium reserves in J&K is at the "fearful" stage, and the deposits' mining potential needs to be validated by further proof.
The next G 2 and G 1 assessments will provide more facts, with the G1 stage involving smaller exploratory mining to remind the deposits of their readiness for extraction. So yeah, since we are at the inferred level, we are still some time away from exploiting any lithium. And it's important to exercise patience here and learn from our past experiences. A couple of years ago, there was a lot of hype around the discovery of 1600 metric tonnes of lithium in Karnataka, and the media went crazy.
But the Atomic Minerals Directorate ( AMD )for Exploration and Research had to intervene and calm people down. In a public note, AMD said—and we quote—that unless a proper technology or method is available to profitably extract lithium from its ore, the real benefit of exploration may not be there. With the data presently available from AMD, the actual economic benefits of the exploration cannot be estimated at this stage. And it's been quite a while since we heard any updates about the lithium discovered in Karnataka. So we can't be sure how viable it is now; the discovery in Jammu and Kashmir is in the same boat at the preliminary inferred stage. It's still uncertain whether it's economically viable or not.
Even if it is, the mining and extraction process will take time, maybe 10 years or even more. A senior official of the Energy Program at the World Resources Institute India, said that while the recent GSI discovery of lithium deposits in J&K is promising, it will take a long time before it becomes commercially viable for mining and production of lithium ion batteries.
And mining alone will not put an end to our external dependence. Additional infrastructure and technological expertise are required for processing and refining mined lithium, which countries like China already possess.
A professor at IIT Bombay, explained that India lacks the experience-tested technology and established industries for extracting and purifying lithium, which is mixed with rocks and other minerals in the J&K, and this can lead to more challenges in terms of cost and technology of processing. He added that Australia also has similar reserves of lithium mixed with bauxite, and India may need to explore technology transfers and partnerships with the lithium extraction industry abroad, which could then help expedite the process to keep up with the rising demand for batteries and EVs.
Another critical aspect to consider is that even if our research shows that it's economically viable, we need to be sure that it's environmentally viable too, because if we are not careful, this metal that's supposed to lead our transition into a clean energy future could first end up destroying our ecosystem.
Just look at Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, which hold more than 50% of the world's proven lithium reserves. It's called the " lithium triangle" of the world. And a significant portion of lithium in this region is located underneath the famous salt flats, and mining lithium comes at a significant cost to these countries.
To extract the metal, miners first pump the lithium-rich salt water, or brine, from the underground and onto the surface. Then they let it evaporate and harvest the lithium for that. Shockingly, this process takes about 2000 metric tonnes of water to produce just one tonne of lithium. This massive consumption of water has a devastating impact on groundwater levels.
Although the environmental problems in J&K may not be the same as those in this area, mining in the Himalayas could create a different set of issues because this region is young and prone to earthquakes and land subsidence. And if we are not very careful, we could have more incidents like Joshi Mutt, and that would be a major concern.
Of course we need lithium to transition to a greener world, but it can come at a considerable environmental cost during the mining process.
Even if we managed to extract the 5.9 million metric tonnes of lithium , trying to reconcile this paradox will be the biggest challenge in India's quest for lithium superpower status.
As you can see, India will have to swallow a number of bitter pills before it can explore the lithium resource discovered in J&K and become Atmanirbhar in EV manufacturing.
Girish Linganna
Defence and Aerospace Analyst
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
