There used to be a time when there wasn’t a single uranium mine in India, and we are talking about the era before the 1960s. Sure, there was too much geopolitical pressure on India to not mine uranium, but just to be independent of the outside pressure, we went ahead with making India not just a nation with nuclear weapons, but we also worked quite a lot on the nuclear energy sector. And that’s all thanks to the uranium reserves and the mines to dig out that uranium we have in India. Today, we are here just to take a look at the top 5 major uranium mines in India as of 2024. So, let’s get to it.
1. Tummalapalle Uranium Mine, Andhra Pradesh
Since this list is all about the major uranium mines in India, then why not start off with the largest uranium mines in the country? Yes, it is the Tummalapalle Uranium Mine of Andhra Pradesh that we are talking about here. When the survey was done here to locate and identify the ore of uranium reserves here, it was actually spread over 21 kilometers. And want to know the size of that uranium reserve beneath the surface? That’s a mind-boggling 60,000 tonnes of uranium, so no wonder why Tummalapalle Mine has to be the biggest and one of the major uranium mines in India and that’s why we have kept it at the top of this list.
2. Jaduguda Uranium Mine, Jharkhand
Alright, next is the Jaduguda Uranium Mine which comes to the uranium mining scene as one of the major mines all across India. So yes, you can’t just skip past this one and carry on with your discussion about uranium mines in India, that’s just straight-up unfair. Situated precisely in the Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, Jaduguda actually holds the title of India’s oldest established uranium mine, so no wonder why it is so important for the nuclear energy sector of the country. And just so you know how old we are talking about, well, it was first opened way back in 1967. As per the recent data, this mine is still producing about 1370 tonnes of ore per day, but keep in mind, it is just the ore we are talking about aka the raw material.
3. Narwapahar Uranium Mine, Jharkhand
Alright, now it is time to just look around a bit at where the Jaduguda is at, and then you’ll come to know about another famous and very useful mine for India’s nuclear energy sector. Yes, it is the Narwapahar Uranium Mine of Jharkhand. Though not as old as the Jaduguda Mine, this one is actually a much better version of the old concept, that’s because here the Indian government loaded the mine with the best technology for the uranium mining process. We are talking about advanced tech like electro-hydraulic drill jumbos.
4. Turamdih Uranium Mine, Jharkhand
And again, just west of Jaduguda, you’ll find Turamdih Uranium Mine, another name which you must mention if you’re talking about uranium in the county. The reserves were discovered here just two years after the Jaduguda Mines, but it wasn’t until 2003 that the actual mining work started in Turamdih Uranium Mine. Talking about how big this mine really is, well, you should know that it goes deep, 170 meters, to be exact. On top of that, there is an 8-degree decline and a 260-meter vertical shaft.
5. Bagjata Uranium Mine, Jharkhand
Last on the list, but still another super important mine for digging up uranium in India is of course the Bagjata Uranium Mine of Jharkhand. This one you see, is again in very close proximity to the Jaduguda Mine, which is just 25 km to the east. That’s how close these two mines are. Though after the discovery of the uranium reserves here, it actually took a lot of effort to develop the infrastructure before even the mining started, and that’s why it took until 2008, you know, just to get the mine back online. Talking about how big of a mine it is, well, you should know that the vertical shaft of this mine alone extends down to about 375 meters underground.
Conclusion
That’s all. But remember, as of 2024, there are not a lot of uranium mines in India, there are about six of the underground ones. And we introduced you to the top 5 major ones already. So, that’s that.
