Slate stone is found in many places in India including the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar etc. Rajasthan leads the country's overall deposits of the stone. Slates, schist and phyllites of dimensional use are found associated with Delhi and Aravalli Supergroup of rocks in parts of Ajmer, Alwar, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Bundi, Pali, Tonk, Udaipur and Chittaurgarh districts. Slate deposits of Alwar are conspicuous both with regard to quality and quantity.
Rajasthan
Besides, Bar conglomerate in Pali district and calc-schists in Ajmer district, mica schist in Bhilwara district etc. are quarried for use as roofing and flooring slabs. District-wise distribution of Slates, schist and phyllites is shown below:
- Ajmer: Sheopura, Lulawa, Nai Khurd (Beawar).
- Alwar: Basai, Kayasa, Kund (Behrod).
- Tonk: Devli, Dhuni, Anwa, Uncha.
- Pali: Bar.
- Bhilwara: Badnor, Tikar.
- Dungarpur: Balwara.
- Chittaurgarh: Gosunda.
- Udaipur: Godan, Gogunda.
Himachal Pradesh
The true cleavage-slate, which is the roofing and paving variety of slate, is not of common occurrence in India except in some mountain areas, e.g. at Chamba and Mandi in Shimla and Kangra hills in outer Himalayas and Pir Panjal in the middle Himalayas, where they make good roofing material obtainable locally for hill towns and villages. When the cleavage in slate is finely developed and regular, enabling the rock to be split into thin, even plates, roofing slates are available; when the cleavage is not fine, slate is used for paving.
Extensive slate beds occur in Cumbum-Markapur area in Kurnool district where slate-making is a cottage industry. Slate occurs in Cuddapah area inter-bedded with iron and manganese ores. Large deposits occur in Dhauladhar range at Kanyara, near Dharamsala in Kangra district and the vicinity of Rewari in Gurgaon district, in the Aravallis and in Kharagpur hills in Monghyr district in Bihar.
Other States
Madhya Pradesh contributes majorly to the production of slate stone in India. Andhra Pradesh-38 per cent in the year 1986. Haryana and Rajasthan together accounted for the remaining 7 per cent. The contribution of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh declined compared to the preceding year 1985. During the year 1986 slate production was at 6,565 tonnes.
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