The
Odisha state alone contributes 29% of the total Indian manganese
ore reserves. These ores are ferruginous in composition
and are inherently friable in nature [3]. The ore genesis
of the Joda deposit is typical, where the gangue content is
distributed in major proportion in all the size ranges [4−5].
The Joda mineral formation occupies a significant position
in the geological map of India, in general, and in the manganese
ores in particular. The mineralization of manganese
ore in Odisha is mainly confined to three stratigraphic horizons,
among which the ores of the iron-ore group occupy a
larger area and mostly occur in the well-known horseshoe-shaped
belt of banded iron formations of Precambrian
age [3,6−7]. The manganese ores are mostly of low-to-medium-grade
type with a low phosphorous content. In contrast
to the other manganese deposits in Odisha, three varieties
of low-grade manganese ores from this belt — (a) siliceous,
(b) ferruginous and (c) aluminous types — have been
reported [7−9]. Most of the manganese deposits of the Joda