Minerals
The foundry sand is found from Dharamkot near Batala. The deposits are located 6.5 kms west of Batala. Exposed on both sides of Batala-Dera Baba Nanak road, the Dharmkot sand is a natural moulding sand, containing about 20% of clay. Another deposit which is about 4 metres thick, occurs at about 6 km from Batala on the Batala Qadian road. The sand gives a yellowish tinge on the surface but is reddish brown at about 1 metre depth.
The sand deposits are also found at Bhagwanpur about 15 km. west of Batala on Dera Baba Nanak road and about 10 km from Gurdaspur on the Gurdaspur Naushera road (20 percent clay).
The salt petre occurs in the district at the villages of Thikriwala, Pandori in thesil Gurdaspur and Dhawan, Chataurgarh and Badowal in tehsil Batala. It is a source of Potassium nitrate which can be used for making crackers and Gunpowder, in match and sugar industry and as fertilizer.
Read more about this topic: Gurdaspur District