Mineral and Energy Resources II — Important Questions

Affordable and stable prices, Easy to burn with high calorific value, No dependence on climatic conditions

Coal is affordable, easy to burn with high calorific value, and mining is not dependent on weather. However, coal is not environment friendly as it causes pollution, and it's a non-renewable source.

Non-renewable source, Causes environmental pollution, Limited supply leading to price conflicts

Petroleum is non-renewable, causes pollution through greenhouse gas emissions, and its limited supply can cause price conflicts between nations. However, petroleum can be easily transported and has high energy density.

Uranium, Thorium, Plutonium

Nuclear energy is generated using Uranium, Thorium and Plutonium as raw materials. Uranium is found in the copper belt of Bihar and the Aravali rocks of Rajasthan, while Thorium occurs in the Monazite sands of the Kerala coast (though it must first be converted to Uranium for use as fuel). Coal and petroleum are conventional fossil fuels used for thermal power generation, not nuclear power, so they are excluded.

Sutlej

Bhakra Nangal Dam is constructed across river Sutlej at Bhakra Gorge in the Siwaliks. It's a joint venture of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan governments, commissioned in 1963.