India Discovery Of Lithium And Implications For Pakistan – OpEd

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Lithium has become one of the most sought-after minerals in the world since lithium is a crucial part of batteries used in many different technological products. With the rise of electric vehicles, cell phones, and other technological advancements, the need for lithium has only increased, making it a commodity of significant economic and strategic value.

Lithium is a crucial commodity for the manufacturing of high-tech goods and the shift to renewable energy sources, which gives it strategic relevance for a nation. A nation’s competitiveness in the high-tech industry, a growingly significant sector of the global economy, can be improved by having access to a steady and secure supply of lithium. The development of jobs and the expansion of the nation’s economy can both be facilitated by lithium production. The Indian Ministry of Mines reported the discovery of 5.9 million tonnes of inferred lithium ore on their Twitter. This deposit alone makes India the country with the fifth-largest lithium reserves in the world. The deposit, lies in the Reasi district in the provinces of Jammu and Kashmir.

India now has the fifth-largest lithium reserves in the world because to this deposit alone. The deposit is located in the Jammu and Kashmir provinces’ Reasi district. Batteries for electric vehicles (TVs), solar panels, and electronic devices are all made from lithium. According to the World Bank, mineral production might rise by as much as 500% between 2020 and 2050, which is required for the clean energy transition. The World Lithium Association predicts a 6-fold rise in demand for lithium between 2021 and 2040 as a result of rising demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy sources.

The only other lithium deposit in India is a minor one with a total weight of 1600 tonnes; this is the country’s first significant lithium discovery. This revelation could help India in its quest to become a key player in the development of electric vehicles. For the time being, India’s manufacturing sector is dependent on lithium imports, primarily from Argentina, Chile, and Australia. Almost 80% of the total lithium consumed in the nation is imported. With the discovery of a sizable reserve, India, which previously primarily depended on imports for the mineral, now has optimism. The fact that the majority of the global reserve is located in regions with severe water stress makes this discovery even more important. India is a potential replacement because the mineral requires a large amount of water for extraction and the majority of the reserves are in nations with water shortages.

Due to Kashmir’s status as a disputed territory and the possibility for additional escalation caused by this finding, it may potentially have an impact on the balance of power in the area. The discovery and use of lithium reserves in a region that still needs a reliable solution would cause Pakistan great concern. This would have significant economic and geopolitical ramifications for the entire world, not just the region. It presents Pakistan with the chance to become a major producer of lithium, which could give its economy and technological advancement a much-needed boost. For Pakistan, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. Pakistan has been putting in significant effort to diversify its economy and lessen its reliance on imports. The discovery of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir is an opportunity for Pakistan to take a major step forward in these efforts, but it is also a source of concern. If India controls the supply of lithium, Pakistan’s access to the mineral could be limited, which would have serious implications for its economic and technological development.

4 thoughts on “India Discovery Of Lithium And Implications For Pakistan – OpEd

  • February 21, 2023 at 5:12 am
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    Those Lithium deposits that India discovered are located in the Reasi district of the JAMMU region of J&K. Major Hindu pilgrimage sites like Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori, Baba Dhansar and Siyad Baba are located in Jammu.

    The people of Jammu are predominantly Hindus and Sikhs, but there are some Christians too. Only 33% of Jammu is Muslim, and even that includes Shia.

    Pakistan can only dream of a miracle, where it gets the small tract of land in the Kashmir valley from India. For Kashmir valley is the Sunni heartland.

    With its abysmal track record of treating Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and Shia minorities, no sane person would advocate Jammu ceding to Pakistan.

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  • February 23, 2023 at 9:24 pm
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    Very interesting view. This Lithium is found in India and the author is mindlessly drooling about Pakistan getting a piece of it! very interesting imagination indeed

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    • February 25, 2023 at 12:00 pm
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      I am Pahari and from Jammu Most of them are Muslim and the culture is similar to that of Pakistani Azad Kashmir and North Punjab The district where it was discovered has a 49.7 percent Muslim population And the rest are Hindus and Christians but 3 percent are also Sikhs. But the surrounding districts are mostly Muslim majority areas And in the current situation, Amrit Pal Singh is talking about Khalistan in Punjab If majority Sikhs in Punjab forcefully make Khalistan, Jammu will be occupied by Pakistan Well, war can destroy both countries Therefore, Pakistan can occupy Kashmir only because of Khalistan And there will be no destruction But if Khalistan is not formed or there is no civil war in Punjab, neither Pakistan nor India will win the war over Kashmir.

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  • February 27, 2023 at 8:14 pm
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    Looking into positive side, this is a chance for Pakistan also to search for lithium in area controlled by Pakistan in the same region. Like oil found in across Arab countries, it can be same case with lithium also. Instead of contesting for land, Pakistan should sincerely search for lithium in their side also. India is not going giving up J&K to Pakistan.

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