INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

Detailed explanation-1: -Lignite is a low grade brown coal, which is soft with high moisture content. The principal lignite reserves are in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu and are used for generation of electricity.

Detailed explanation-2: -Lignite is found mainly in Neyveli. Lignite is known as the ‘brown coal’. The NLC or the Neyveli Lignite Corporation is a company owned by the Government of India which is responsible for mining lignite in Neyveli.

Detailed explanation-3: -Of which 81% reserves are located in Tamil Nadu with about 33.88 billion tonnes. Other states where lignite deposits have been located are Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Statewise / districtwise reserves of lignite as on 1.4.

Detailed explanation-4: -It annually produces about 30 million tonnes of lignite from opencast mines at Neyveli in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India and at Barsingsar in Bikaner district of Rajasthan state. The lignite is used at pithead thermal power stations of 3640 MW installed capacity to produce electricity.

Detailed explanation-5: -The analysis led to the discovery of lignite reserves beneath the areas in and around Neyveli village. The Neyveli Lignite Corporation was formed as a corporate Body in 1956 by the Government of India. The mining of lignite started in 1962.