MUMBAI (Scrap Register): The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector rose 10 per cent in February over the same month last year, an official statement said. The cumulative growth for the period April-February 2019-20 over the corresponding period of previous year has been 1.9 percent, it added.

"The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of February, 2020 at 123.7, was 10.0 per cent higher as compared to the level in the month of February, 2019," the mines ministry said in the statement.

Mining and mineral statistics division of the Indian Bureau of Mines functions as the nodal agency for statistics on mineral sector and releases this information.

Production level of important minerals in February 2020 included coal 780 lakh tonnes, lignite 47 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilised) 2,257 million cubic metres, petroleum (crude) 24 lakh tonnes, bauxite 2,190 thousand tonnes and chromite 395 thousand tonnes.

The production of important minerals showing positive growth during February 2020 over the year-ago month included iron ore (31.3 per cent), chromite (18.2 per cent) and coal (11.7 per cent). The production of other important minerals showing negative growth were "Copper conc (-) 60.7 per cent, gold (-) 29.6 per cent...and phosphorite (-) 1.8 per cent", it added.