Mineral Resources
Crude Oil:
Crude oil is the most important mineral product of Assam. The total production of petroleum crude in Assam accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the country's total petroleum output till 1970. Assam produced 15 per cent of total petroleum crude produced in India. Crude oil is available in Sibsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh.
The total crude oil reserve in Assam is estimated to be around 70.46 million tonnes. Oil deposits in Assam are found in Naharkatiya, Moran, Hugrizan, Rudrasagar, Galeky, Lakwa, Nazira, Teok, etc.
Natural Gas:
In terms of natural gas, Assam is well blessed by nature. The total reserve of natural gas in Assam is estimated to be 23,000 million cubic metres. Natural gas in Assam is available in Naharkatiya, Moran and some other parts of the Upper Assam area.
Namrup Fertilizer plant and Namrup Gas Thermal Power Project are the main two projects using natural gas in Assam. On the other hand, Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymer Limited (BCPL) is present in the Dibrugarh district. Moreover, in recent years, the total amount of natural gas utilised in Assam has increased.
Coal:
Coal is one of the important mineral product in Assam. Coal provides fuel to households and industries in Assam along with other by-products. The major coalfields in Assam are situated at Margherita, Nazira, Lankadaman, Makum, Jaipur, Ledo, Namdum, etc.
As per GSI assessment, the total coal reserve of Assam is 295.2 million metric tonnes. The total annual production of coal in Assam is about 6 lakh tonnes. Assam constituted 0.49 per cent of the total coal production of the country as a whole.
Limestone:
Limestone is used as an important raw material for the production of Cement. Limestone is an important mineral product of Assam. Limestone mines of Assam are situated at Garampani and Koliajan in the district of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills.
The total limestone reserve of the Garampani and Koliajan areas is estimated to be 78 million tonnes and 81 million tonnes respectively. Limestone in Assam is of high quality. The Bokajan Cement Factory is based on the limestone reserve of Koliajan.
Other Minerals:
There are also some other mineral resources available in Assam. Among the main natural resources are Fire Clay, Kaoline, Iron Ore, Fullers Earth, Feldspar, etc.
Assam is very rich with its deposit of some of the basic mineral resources which will provide scope for industrialisation through proper utilisation.
Forest Resources
Forestry represents the second-largest land use in India after agriculture. The forest resources in Assam plays a crucial role in meeting a wide variety of needs for millions. A vast area of forest land of Assam has already been transformed into barren and unproductive wastelands.
Forest contributes a lot to the GDP of Assam. Assam has its rich potential for the development of forests. The upper Brahmaputra valley along with two hill districts is covered by evergreen forests and the lower Brahmaputra valley is covered by tropical deciduous forests.
The total area covered by forest in Assam is 30,807 sq km which is about 39.2 per cent of the total geographical area of the State. The reserved forests are covers 22 per cent of the total geographical area of the state. Assam, in total, has 5 National Parks and 18 Wildlife Sanctuaries.
The forests in Assam contributes to its economy in many ways. Forest provides timber like Sal, Bansam, Teak, Sishu, Gamari, etc. These are very valuable for furniture making and construction work and thus provides excellent employment opportunities to thousands engaged in the Furniture Industry.
Forests in Assam provides raw materials for various industries like the plywood industry, match industry, paper and paper pulp industry, etc. Forests also provide fuel for household and other amenities, which is comparatively cheaper.
Apart from these, forests in Assam also helps in preserving its rich bio-diversity. Forests in Assam are home to many endangered species like the one-horned rhino, elephant, tiger, deer, rare birds, etc. The density of the tiger population in the Kaziranga National Park is the highest in the country.
The forests also generate revenues from tourism. Every year, millions of tourists from various places in India and from abroad visit the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, generating a handsome amount of revenue for the state.
Water Resources
Assam is rich in water resources. Apart from fulfilling the humans, animals and plants needs, water is also required in agricultural development, industry, animal husbandry and overall economic development.
Water available in the state can be classified as surface water and groundwater. Both surface water and groundwater is obtained from rainfall. Assam is famous for heavy rainfall. It experiences predominant influence of the south-west tropical monsoon which reigns from April to October with occasional winter shower. The average annual rainfall in the State varies from 1780 mm to 3050 mm.
Another important source of surface water in Assam is the major rivers of the state. The Brahmaputra is the major river of the state which flows through all the plain districts except in Cachar. Another major river, Barak, is flowing through the undivided Cachar district of Assam.
The groundwater potential in Assam is also quite high. Out of the total area worthy of groundwater exploration, nearly two-thirds of this potential has already been covered. There are about 16 billion cubic metres of groundwater available for exploitation but the water potential is not utilized for providing irrigation facilities. Moreover, there is a scarcity of potable drinking water in various parts of the State.
Other Resources
These include the Human Resource, Live Stock Resource and Fishery Resource. Human Resource means the population of an area. Assam has a total population of 3,12,05,576 (2011 census). Assam's land area constitutes 2.4% of the total land area of the country and it provides shelter to 2.64% of the country's population. Out of the total population of Assam, 14.1% of people live in urban areas of the State.
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