Importance Of Natural Resources In Gujarat

Environmental Factors

Natuaral Resourses

Natural Resources play an important role in industrial development. Gujarat has important resources like minerals, marine, agriculture; as also animal wealth and human resources. The government of Gujarat has taken several measures to explore these resources for further processing.

The following are the information on important natural resources useful for industrial processing in the state:

Mineral Resources

The important mineral resources in Gujarat include limestone, china-clay, lignite, chalk, dolomite, bentonite, bauxite, marble and granite; besides oil and natural gas. Reserves and location of the important minerals is as under:

Mineral Main Locations

Bauxite Kachchh, Jamnagar

Base

in India, which offers important resources such as salt and marine products for industry. Gujarat is the largest producer of salt in the country contributing 80% of total production in India. Other than using salt for edible purposes, it is substantially used for production of inorganic chemicals.

Fish processing is also developed and important industry. Gujarat is the 2nd largest producer and exporter of processed fish in the country. Veraval, Mangrol and Porbandar are developed as important fish processing centres of the country.

Agricultural Resources

It is an important natural resource used for industrial processing. Gujarat is known for the production of cash crops. The important agricultural crops are cotton, groundnut, sugarcane, tobacco, rice, maize, wheat, pulses, vegetables and fruits like banana and mango. Animal wealth is also an important resource contributing to the process of industrial development which includes dairy industry, cattle feed industry and leather Processing industry in it. Almost all the districts of the state are having projects for milk production and dairy products. This development has been in the cooperative sector. The total daily milk production on an average is estimated at 2168 lakh litres, in the state. AMUL has emerged as an international brand in milk and milk

Grasslands have degraded and wetland which forms a gateway to many migratory birds is under serious threat.

Water

Water has not only become scarce and also now badly polluted. Groundwater extraction is the most common response to scarcity and in Kachchh and Saurashtra it has led to seawater intrusion and to increased levels of fluoride in North Gujarat. Reduction of freshwater flow in the surface drainage systems of Gujarat has led to increased salinity in downstream regions, the pollution problem through reduced dilution and affecting the composition of biotic communities such as mangroves and fisheries.

Air

The two major sources of air pollution in Gujarat are industries and vehicular emissions. Air pollution has emerged, cities like Ahmedabad and Surat are more polluted due to increasing vehicular emission.The burning of re-suspension of dust are also major contributors.

The air around industries and nearby areas has become severely polluted. Villagers around these areas often suffer from respiratory problems, circulatory disorders and skin diseases. The work zone is much worse and workers are often exposed to acids, organic solvents and toxic fumes, besides radiation and high