Environmental Impact of Lithium Mining in Reasi
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Effects of Lithium Mining in Reasi, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Why in News? | Environmental concerns highlighted by a new study on lithium brine extraction. |
| Location | Reasi, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Key Concerns | - Water Crisis: Perennial streams dried up post Chenab Rail Bridge construction; lithium mining could worsen water scarcity. |
| - Threat to Biodiversity: Loss of biodiversity in the eco-sensitive Himalayan region; potential harm to migratory bird habitats. | |
| - Food Insecurity: Excessive carbon emissions, water, and land use could jeopardize food security. | |
| - Pollution: Risk of polluting the riparian ecosystem of rivers originating in the Himalayas. | |
| Lithium Properties | - Soft, silvery metal with the lowest density of all metals. |
| - High reactivity, low density, and excellent electrochemical properties. | |
| - Ores: Petalite, Lepidolite, Spodumene. Known as "white gold." | |
| Applications of Lithium | - Batteries: Rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, electric vehicles, etc.; non-rechargeable batteries for pacemakers, toys, clocks. |
| - Alloys: Magnesium-lithium alloy used for armour plating. | |
| - Air Conditioning: Lithium chloride and lithium bromide used in air conditioning and industrial drying systems. | |
| - Lubricants: Lithium stearate used as an all-purpose and high-temperature lubricant. |