Marble is used as one of the building stone in Rajasthan , which generates a lot of industrial and mining activity in the state. The Rajasthan state is largest producer of all kinds of marble in the country Makrana (Nagaur District) is known for a very fine quality of white marble deposit. The other area where marble is found are Udaipur, Sirohi, Pali, Banswara, Dungarpur, Jaisalmer, Bundi etc.

Occurrence And Potentiality

Marble deposits of the state can be broadly divided in four groups (trade names).

• White Marble
• Pink Marble
• Green Marble
• Other Marble

White Marble

White marble is available in Makrana ( District Nagaur ) in huge quantity, which is often called Makrana stone in laymen term. The marble deposit of Makrana is about 12 km. in length and 1.6 km. in length and 1.6 km. in width. Well known deposits are found in Kumari, Dungari, Bhermata Y Chancer area. The deposit of Chancer area is considered to be the finest one and quarri3es of this area have gone upto a considerable depath of 15 to 60 meters. Now a days, because of deep mining and other factors, mining in Makrana area has become uneconomical. Further, good quality material has also been exhauseted. Hence the need for developing new areas where marble is available, close to surface was felt. Soon in Rajnagar (Udaipur District) huge deposit of white marble was discovered by the State Department of Mines & Geology.

Although marble deposit in Udaipur district are known since long back when palaces and monuments in and around Udaipur were built with local marble but in recent years this district has received more attention and mining activity in this district has developed rapidly. In Udaipur district white marble is mainly available in Rajnagar, Amet, Saprao, Marchana, Agaria, Parvati etc.

Apart from Udaipur district white marble in huge quantity is also available in Tripura Sundri (District Banswara). This marble is fine grained and has varities which are pure white or that have pinkish or yellowish shades. Some varities resemble to Italian Marble.

Pink Marble

Babarmal area of Udaipur district is the only main producer of Pink Marble in the state. The area is situated at 25 km South of Udaipur city on Jaisamand road. This belt is about 5.20 km in length and 30 to 100 meters in width . This marble is some what hard, hence require more time in cutting. Besides this, small quantity of pinkish marble is also found in Makrana and Abu Road area.

Green Marble

Green marble is found in keshriya ji about 60 km south of Udaipur. There is great craze of this marble because it has white jali with light or dark green base which shines very good after polishing Block recovery is very little as lot of cracks are found and hence it is generally used for making chips and crazy. This variety is actually serpentine rock but in trade it is known as green marble.

Other Marble

Others types of marble are found in different parts of Rajasthan. Yellow marble which actually shally lime stone and takes good polish is available in Jaisalmer. Marble deposits of Bhainsalana in Jaipur district is known for its black strips. In Pali, Marble deposits exists near Bar and Sendra. It is mainly pink coloured with various shade and strips . Different types of marble is also found in Ajmer, Jahazpur, Bundi. etc. but the deposits are very small.

In Rajasthan mining is mostly done by open cast method. Only in Makrana at Chancer area underground mining method has been adopted where it has been mines upto 100 meters depth but, the deposit is of spotless white marble. Mining does not come under the head of industry hence it is deprived of the benefits available to an industry, Moreover, financing institutions are also reluctant to finance the mines. Therefore, mechanised mining is not developing rapidly. To increase the marble production it becomes necessary to mechanise the mine and minimise the use of explosives to reduce the breakage so that it can cope-up with the increasing demand of marble blocks by the diamond gang saw and other conventional machines.

Marble Based Industries

Marble sawing and polishing industry of Rajasthan is one of the most important mineral based industry. Main centre of this

 industry is still Makrana.

There are more than 1000 conventional sawing units and more than 100 diamond gang saw are under operation. In addition about 200 edge cutting and polishing units are also working. They comprise both imported and indegenious machines. Among imported machines. Italian machines out number those from Germany. A survey reveals that the total installed capacity of sawing at Makrana is about 5.00 lac tonnes per annum and the production of blocks at Makrana is about 205 lac tonnes and about 2.00 lac tibbes us received from other areas for processing like Rajnagar, Keshriya ji , Babarmal etc. Thus the total raw material comes to 4.5 lac tonnes which is short of the installed capacity.
The Makrana area is almost saturated for the growth of the marble industry and therefore, in mining and processing of marble Udaipur district is fast developing as the second centre of marble based industry. Udaipur is also well connected by Air, Rail and Road which also contributes as major role to its fast developments. In Udaipur about 20 conventional and 8 dimond gang saw units are functioning Besides about 60 cutting, polishing and tiling units are under operation. At Rajnagar 14 diamond, 15 conventional and in in Chittorgarh 4 diamond and 12 conventional gang saw machines are working. The total gross sawing capacity of Udaipur district is more than 2 lac tonnes per annum. Total production marble blocks is some where about 1.5 lac tonnes which is much below the sawing capacity. Hence there is acute need of mechanised and wide scale mining of blocks so that it can copeup with the demand and reduce the gap between demand and supply. Now a days Rajasthan is exporting mirror polished marble tiles in various sizes and thickness

The chart given below depicts in brief the marble industry right from the raw material to finished product and from producer to consumer.

Marble Industry
	Mechanised Mining
Mining	Semi Mechanised Mining
	Non Mechanised Mining
	Sawing	Imported
		Indian
Processing
	Edge Cutting & Polishing	Imported
		Indian
Trading	Local
	Exporter
Fixing