GSI confirms gold ore reserves in Gaya, Munger, Nalanda
Patna. Bihar can well be the future
goldmine hub with an estimated 57 per cent reserves of the country’s
primary gold ore. But being in Naxalite held terrain, government
agencies are finding it difficult to research the prospects further.
Bihar’s estimated gold reserves is the highest, followed by Karnataka
and Rajasthan, 17 per cent each, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh 3 per
cebt and Madhya Pradesh with 2 per cent as per a recent assessment made
by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
However, in terms of metal content Karnataka remains on top followed
by Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. India currently
mines 0.4 per cent of its gold despite having 9 per cent of global gold
reserves.
As per the national mineral inventory prepared by Indian bureau of
mines a few years ago, the total reserves of gold ore in the country is
placed at 19.25 million tonnes, containing 85.12 tonnes of primary gold
metal. The gold deposit surveyed by geological survey of India (GSI) in
Bihar was found in Gaya, Rajgir (Nalanda) and Jamui districts. Both the
authorities are tightlipped about the quantity and commercial viability.
K B Khalkho, director, GSI, Bihar said field, experiments and
chemical tests of gold were continuing and it would take some time, may
be a few years, before anything could be said definitively.
Jaya Lal, director, technical coordination, GSI, Patna, admitted to
having located volcano sedimentary sequences in Bathani
volcano-sedimentary sequences in Bathani volcano-sediment in
juxtaposition with Munger-Rajgir meta-sediments in Gaya district. They
were a positive sign for gold mineralisation.
As for the gold investigation in Gosari-Ghutwe block of Sono area in
Jamui district, he said the process was still on and was promising. “The
gold investigation is still at its initial stages. We can say anything
only after sub-surface investigation”, he added.
Khalkho informed, that the GSI was also carrying out investigation
for copper, lead and zinc in the forested rocky hills of the state,
which includes , Gaya, Aurangabad, Jamui, Nawada, Rohtas and Munger
districts.
He claimed, ”We never know where extremists have planted mines. We
have to be very cautious in our approach. Only last year extremists had
kidnapped a GSI officer in Giridih (Jharkhand) and kept him in custody
for a day. If we take along the police, extremist attacks would only
grow”.
Source: Hindustan Times
No comments:
Post a Comment