Mineral Resources Development

The Nellore mica belt became famous since 1887 as the largest producer and exporter of high-value block mica and mica splittings next only to Bihar through hundreds of underground mica mines in the private sector. Incidental to mining of high-value mica, large quantities of other minerals such as waste mica, quartz, potash and soda feldspar, biotite and vermiculite, and rarer minerals such as garnet, beryl, apatite and coltan extracted were simply dumped around the mines as waste. The importance gained by the Nellore mica belt can be appreciated from the fact that the Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund (MMLWF) Act, 1946 was the first Act to be enacted in India for the welfare of mine workers in the private sector, while similar Acts to benefit mine workers of other minerals could be enacted only after a lapse of over 25 years.