RAS question
Chhattisgarh's iron ore deposits are mainly found in which area?
Correct answer: (C) Bailadila hills (Dantewada district).
Chhattisgarh's main iron ore deposits are found in the Bailadila hills of Dantewada district.
Explanation
Bailadila hills in Dantewada district are the right answer because the official Indian Bureau of Mines review identifies the Bailadila deposit in Dantewada as an important occurrence of iron ore (hematite) in Chhattisgarh. Indian Bureau of Mines, Indian Minerals Yearbook 2016: Chhattisgarh State Review treats the Bailadila-Rowghat hill ranges as one of India's biggest iron ore fields and records NMDC exploration at the Bailadila iron ore deposit. The standard exam association is Bailadila, Dantewada, high-grade hematite and NMDC mines. Ore from this belt is exported through Visakhapatnam port, making Bailadila not merely a location fact but a mineral-resource link in Indian geography.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Korba is associated with coal and thermal power, not with Chhattisgarh's main iron ore deposits.
- (B) Raipur is the state capital, but the official mineral listing places the key iron ore occurrence at Bailadila in Dantewada, not in the Raipur city area.
- (D) Bilaspur is linked with coal, whereas Chhattisgarh's main iron ore deposits are in the Bailadila hills of Dantewada district.
Concept
This tests the mineral-resource geography of central India, especially the pairing of major minerals with their producing belts. RAS repeatedly asks such location-resource matches because they connect physical geography with industry, transport and state economies.