Chandrapur to be explored for atomic minerals

CHANDRAPUR: While chief minister Eknath Shinde drew the attention of the country towards Chandrapur by claiming of discovery of two deposits of gold and presence of reserves of platinum group minerals in the district, sources said that atomic mineral directorate for exploration and research (AMDER) too is soon going to start exploration in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli for rare atomic minerals.
Shinde, during the 'Investors' Conclave on Commercial Coal Mines Auctions and Opportunities In Mining Sector' held at Mumbai on Thursday, revealed that the union mining department has informed the Maharashtra government of having gold reserves in Chandrapur and Sindhudurg districts.
Sources in the mining department said that during the exploration carried out by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in 2013-14 and 2014-15 for copper deposits in Minjhari and Bamni blocks of Sindewahi taluka, officials had discovered traces of gold under the ground.
On October 10, TOI had reported the discovery of copper ore deposits in four separate blocks in the district with two of them being allocated to the Vedanta Group for further exploration and mining if they turn out to be commercially viable.
"The bores dug in Minjarhi and Bamni blocks to explore the deposits of copper revealed the presence of gold underneath. GSI had submitted a report regarding the presence of deposits of copper and gold in the two blocks to the Union ministry of mines," an official source claimed.
Sources also claimed that there's no knowledge about the quantity of the deposits of gold present in the two blocks and the commercial viability of mining of gold there.
"So far, G-IV and G-III level surveys of the two blocks have been carried out. Mining would be started only after further detailed exploration and evaluation of the commercial viability of gold and copper mining in those blocks," sources said.
The state's revenue and forest department has written to the district collector apprising him of AMDER's intentions to explore the district between November 2022 to October 2023.