Mineral Deposits in Himachal Pradesh

Parvati River, Himachal Pradesh

The land of Himachal Pradesh is blessed with a number of important minerals such as salt, gypsum, clays, mica, limestone, barytes, iron, pyrite and lead. But out of all these minerals, only salt, limestone and slate are of some economic significance. Slate deposits are found in Mandi, Kangra and Chamba, rock salt deposits are located at Gumma and Darang in Mandi whereas Gypsum is found in Sirmaur district. Limestone is found in large quantities in Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Mandi and Solan district.

Interestingly, Himachal Pradesh is the sole holder of rock salt deposits in the country.

Minerals	District
Asbetos	Mandi, Shimla
Baryte	Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan
Bauxite	Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan
Beryl	Chamba, Kinnaur, Kullu
Clay	Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur
Coal	Kangra, Mandi
Copper	Chamba, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Sirmaur, Solan
Flourspar	Kinnaur, Sirmaur
Garnet	Kullu, Sirmaur
Glass Sand	Bilaspur, Kangra, Una
Gold	Bilaspur, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, Sirmaur
Gypsum	Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Sirmaur, Solan
Iron	Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur
Kyanite	Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti
Lead	Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan
Limestone and Dolomite	Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan
Lithium	Kinnaur
Magnesite	Chamba
Pyrite	Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Shimla, Sirmaur
Uranium	Hamirpur, Kullu, Kinnaur, Shimla
Rock Phosphate	Chamba, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan
Rock Salt	Mandi, Kangra
Rubidium	Kinnaur
Silver	Sirmaur, Kinnaur, Kullu
Slate	Chamba, Kangra
Stibnite	Lahaul-Spiti
Steatite (Talc)	Shimla, Sirmaur
Tourmaline	Kinnaur, Kullu
Zinc	Lahaul-Spiti, Sirmaur

In recent surveys, potential Uranium deposits are located in Kullu and Hamirpur. Similarly, natural gas deposits are found at Jawalamukhi (Kangra) and Deot Sidh (Hamirpur).

Source: Geology and Mineral Resources of Himachal Pradesh