Mines and Minerals in Kadapa District

Kadapa district is the repository of mineral wealth. The important minerals that are available in the district are  barytes, asbestos and lime stone. As per the 1983 survey of geological survey of India 30lakh tons of lead, 74,000,000 tons of barytes, 27000tons asbestos deposits are there. It is estimated that 700lakh tons of barytes deposits might be there in Mangampet. There are clay deposits in Rajampet. This is used to make stone implements.

Limestone is available in Yerraguntla, M/s. Coramandal Fertilizers established a cement factory with an annual yield of 10lakh tons. Bharat cement corporation increases its capacity to 10lakh tons. National mineral development corporation is extracting asbestos in Brahman palli and barieties in Mangampet.

Kadapa is also famous for its stone called as “Kadapa stone” used in building construction and forslabs especially in the south India.

Asbestos of Chrysotile variety occurs at the contact of the vempalle dolomite with the dolerite in the Pulivendla mandal. It occurs as veins, with the fibres oriented across the veins, mostly in the serpentine zone near the contact of Vempalle dolomite with the dolorite.

The superior quality asbestos was found in and around Pulivendla mandal to an extent of 14,400 tonnes. Deposits of barytes occur in the Vempalle dolomites and associated basic igneous rocks in Pulivendla, Kamalapuram and Kadapa mandals.

White clay are situated in Pullampet shales and Cumbum shales of Rajampet, Anantharajupeta, Chinna Orampadu and Hastavaram. White clay which could be used as filler in paper industry, textile industry, etc., occurs in deposits near Rampathadu in Pendlimarri mandal and in the Nandyal shales.

Limestone deposits are also found in Jammalamadugu, Kamalapuram and S.Mydukur mandals.

Deposits of a rare hard mineral named Fullerene have been found in the barytes mines at Mangampet in Obulavanipalli mandal of Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.

Fullerene is a form of carbon with large spheroid molecules, consisting of hollow cage of 60 or more atoms. The mineral, which is said to be 250 times tougher and 10 times lighter than steel, is used in aerospace, nano technology, solar power and it is available no where in the world except in Russia.

Fullerene is costlier than gold and commands a price of US $ 23,000-45,000 for 10 grams.

AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) had contacted Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and many universities to undertake a study of Fullerene deposits in Mangampet.

Besides its historical importance, the district has occupied an important place in the industrial map of Andhra Pradesh with its highly valued rich mineral resources. There are mineral related industries and electrical instruments industries.

Bharati Cments, Dalmia Cements, Zuari Cements, India Cement Ltd, Corus India Ltd are the other industries. Asbestos Mining processing unit at Pulivendula. Handloom Industry at Madhavaram is one of the major sources of Income to this district.