Glee and woe of lithium deposits in Reasi district of J&K

Recent data from NASA indicates that the last eight years have been the hottest on record. The results have already begun to show, with major floods in many regions of the planet and countless forest fires ravaging Europe and North America. This increase in average temperature throughout the world may be traced back in part to the transportation industry. More than a quarter of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions are attributable to this industry. To ensure that the earth remains habitable for future generations, the climate issue must be addressed by hastening the transition to environmentally friendly modes of transportation. In these circumstances, lithium is very important because of the function it plays in the situation. For electric car engines, lithium-ion batteries are the preferred choice. Unlike typical motor vehicles, electric vehicles do not operate on gasoline or diesel fuel. Hence, electric cars do not release any toxins into the atmosphere, thereby helping in combating air pollution. 

Lithium is a very ancient metal despite only accounting for 0.002% of the planet’s crust. In reality, it is thought to have been formed in the Big Bang about 13.8 bn years ago, along with hydrogen and helium. As lithium is so reactive, it is never found in nature as a metallic element. Crystalline forms of this mineral are more common in the Earth’s crust, where they occur with rocks and other mineral deposits. 

Till 2022, Australia produced the most lithium of any nation, with 61,000 metric tons coming from its mines. But in the same year, it was predicted that Chile’s lithium reserves equaled 9.3 million metric tons, making it the world’s biggest.

Lithium deposits in J&K

The recent finding of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium deposits in J&K provides India with a much-needed boost toward achieving its net-zero energy ambitions by 2070. Several sectors that rely on the limited supply of the rare alkali metal are quite enthusiastic about a recent declaration made by India’s Geological Survey of India (GSI) on its preliminary exploration of lithium deposits along the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir. 

About twenty years ago, in 1999, the Geological Survey of India first documented the area’s lithium reserves via mapping and reporting. It took two decades to go from the G4 (reconnaissance) stage when resources are mapped, to the G3 (prospecting) stage, where amounts are inferred based on the interpretation of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data, and a deposit was found that will be the object of future exploration. 

In one sense, the mining of lithium will result in monetary gain for the Union Territory as well as an economic gain for domestic and international corporations. Although economically beneficial, this development has had negative effects on society and the environment. The hills in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir are flanked by rural homes, greenery, and the Chenab river with its tributaries. The processes required to extract lithium can pose a threat to the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas, which also falls in Zone IV of India’s seismic zonation map. Lithium is a geochemically highly mobile element; hence, there is a great probability that lithium will be discharged into the environment, where it might adversely impact the populations that are located nearby.

There are primarily three ways for extracting lithium from its primary sources: Surface mining, evaporative concentration from brine, and direct lithium extraction (DLE) from brine. Evaporation ponds in mining expose assets (e.g. wind and storms) to the element, which is most concerning. In enormous PVC-lined shallow ponds, brines are evaporated and lithium is washed with sodium carbonate. Chemicals like softeners may pollute water if PVC barriers fail (Wanger 2011). Even though lithium doesn’t bioaccumulate, it might harm humans and wildlife. Nonetheless, a blood lithium content over 20 mg l−1 increases the risk of mortality (Aral and Vecchio-Sadus 2008).

Lithium extraction will not only put pressure on water extraction from the Chenab river but also will exacerbate the competition for drinking water in the region. Around 0.05-1 milligrams of lithium may be extracted from 1 liter of brine water, according to certain estimates (Friends of the Earth Europe 2013). This means that it may take as much as 500,000 gallons to generate 1 ton of lithium. 

Plant species of the Himalayas are sensitive to the availability of water and changes in the water balance may have dramatic effects on plant variety and vegetation cover in the area. It can lead to the denudation of adjacent slopes provoking many disasters. More utilization pressure on water resources in the area can also reduce the efficiency of the Salal dam constructed on the river Chenab flowing through district Reasi. Due to an over-dependence on available water supplies, the region may also endure drought conditions ranging from mild to severe. 

Conclusion

It is impossible to accomplish sustainable development without an understanding of science and technology. The unequal distribution of information is a major cause that contributes to an uneven regulatory environment, which in turn influences which concerns get attention and which do not. So, it is necessary to include provisions for the establishment of a community monitoring system in the agreement that will be negotiated between mining firms and the local communities. Communities must be given the ability to investigate and verify a company’s usage of its resources under the law (e.g. water consumption). In addition to this, they should be able to investigate whether or not a mining firm conforms to environmental standards. Local communities should be given the authority to create their arrangements and to find their monitoring staff.  Although it may seem hopeless to halt the expansion of the lithium business, we can still strive toward a cleaner future by promoting environmentally friendly policies and raising consumer awareness.

References

Aral H and Vecchio-Sadus A 2008 Toxicity of lithium to humans and the environment—a literature review Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 70 349–56

Friends of the Earth Europe 2013 Less is More: Resource Efficiency through Waste Collection, Recycling and Reuse (Brussels: Friends of the Earth Europe)

Wanger T C 2011 The lithium future-resources, recycling, and the environment Conserv. Lett. 4 202–6