Treasure trove found at Bundelkhand

 

Lucknow, 28 Oct 2013 (TOI): While the Archaeological Survey of India is yet to stumble upon tonnes of gold in Unnao district’s Daundiya Kheda village, the department of mineral and mines has found a treasure trove of metals and minerals in Bundelkhand that could be worth Rs 4,000 crore according to a conservative estimate.

 

If a report of the department is to be believed, the rocky terrain of Bundelkhand’s seven districts — Jhansi, Jalaun, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Banda, Chitrakoot and Lalitpur — could become a potential ’revenue mine’ for the state. Sonbhadra in eastern Uttar Pradesh is another place where gold deposits have been found.

 

The work has been completed at most of the exploration sites. "We’ve found promising gold deposits in Bundelkhand and Sonbhadra," says Bhaskar Upadhyay, director, geology and mines directorate. The state government has been apprised of the findings and a final report will be submitted soon.

 

Excerpts from the mining directorate’s report — a copy of which is with TOI — show Bundelkhand having not only gold and platinum deposits, but also those of the industrial minerals potash, asbestos and silica worth more than Rs 1,000 crore.

 

The exploration puts UP on the national mineral map. So far, the state mined only minor minerals such as diaspore, dolomite, limestone, magnesite and phosphorite. This is the first confirmed presence of major minerals in the state.

 

The report shows Lalitpur’s Girar-Tori and Khutgawan area in Bundelkhand have gold deposits. The exploration, which began in 1995-96, showed gold deposits along 3.5 km strike length in 2012-13. An estimated 140 kg of gold is present in the area that would fetch an estimated Rs 43 crore (as per gold rate Rs 3,000/10 gm) in the market. Similarly, Berwar in Lalitpur has a reserve of 87.5 kg of gold (worth Rs 26.25 crore).

 

In Hardi and Bagisoti area of Sonbhadra, where exploration has been completed, samples from boreholes have shown 0.3 gm per tonne of gold. Besides, gold deposits have been found in rocks measuring 1,200 metres in length, 18m in width and 15.5m in thickness. The estimated gold deposit in the area is 25 kg (worth Rs 7.5 crore).

 

Jhansi is the richest in the pack. The department has found 45 million tonnes of silica (market price Rs 890 crore) in the area that can be used in industries such as iron and steel, ceramics and vitreous tiles.

 

About 0.30 million tonnes of long-fibre asbestos, fit for industrial use, has been found along 1.3 km strike length in Badagaon-Mauranipur area of Jhansi. Its estimated market price is Rs 1,200 crore.

 

The presence of rare earth elements (REE) has been reported from Jhansi’s Khajraha-Buzurg area. The exploration, which started in 2008-09, has shown the existence of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium in 2012-13. The estimated quantity present could be 569 gm per tonne.

 

Lalitpur also sits on about 12 million tonnes of silica deposits (worth Rs 237 crore). In its Ikauna-Dangli area, platinum group elements (PGE) have been found. An average 0.50 gramme per tonne of platinum has been found along strike length of 3.5 km, which, the report said, is more than the quantity found in Tamil Nadu, Goa and Nagaland. Besides, 0.01 tonne platinum has been found in 100 metre long rock depoists in the area. The quantity could fetch Rs 4.5 crore in the market.

 

Sources in the directorate said tenders will be floated to invite bids for mining — but only after the state puts in place guidelines for the mining of major minerals.

 

Another industrial mineral, potash, has been found in Semri and Reva rocks in Chitrakoot. The exploration at the site has been completed. The chemical analysis of the samples of glauconite sandstone (which contains potassium) from the area has shown at least 7% of potash.

 

The department has estimated about 50 million tonnes of glauconite sandstone (worth Rs 1,500 crore) in Chitrakoot. In Mahoba, deposits of 10 million tonnes of silica have been found (estimated worth: Rs 198 crore).

 

The exploration for kimberlite (which sometimes contains diamonds) in Bund (Lalitpur) and gold in Deva Injani area (Sonbhadra) has been put on hold since no encouraging results were found.