New Gold and Diamond Resources in Anantapur District

Hyderabad, Dec 19 (INN): Geological Survey of India (GSI) Additional Director General Sridhar said that five resource bearing and auctionable reports have been submitted to the Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, pertaining to exploration of limestone at Tadutla in Guntur district, Chintalayapalli in Kurlool district, Hoskoti and Belgaum in Karnataka and Gold in Ajjanhalli in Karnataka.

Addressing a press conference here today, he said one diamondiferous Kimberlite pipe has been discovered in Wajrakarur field in Anantapur District.' He said investigation for manganese in Tumkur district of Karnataka was carried out and estimated resource of 3 Metric tonnes of Manganese ore was found.' Sridhar said that, he said an area of 390 sq km was identified as highly favourable zone for gold mineral in parts of Anantapur district.

In Telangana, 89.22 MT iron ore resources have been augmented from Yerrabali, Arnakonda, Chandoli Ambaripeta blocks in Karimnagar district and Rebbannapalli in Adilabad district, Gurimalla, Dabripet, Abbapur, Mallampalli in Khammam and Warangal districts, he said.

Sridhar further said that Seismic Hazard Microzonation studies were being carried out by GSI in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Puducherry, Trichur, Kochi, Ernakulam, Mangaluru.' Micro Zones of varying seismic site response have been delineated in these urban agglomerations, he said.

Sridhar said that there is 4,20,000 sq km landslide prone area in country, of which 64751 sq km area is under Southern Region of GSI.' Landslide susceptibility mapping was carried out in Uttar Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Chickamagalur districts of Karnataka and also detailed site specific study of Biligeri slide, Neriya landslide, Kadwad landslide and Sasnwad landslide. In Tamil Nadu, landslide susceptibility mapping was carried in parts of Theni, Coimbatore, Nilgiri, Dindigul, Palaghat, Trichur, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudunagar and Kanyakumari districts, he added.

In answer to a question, Sridhar said that the iron ore found in Khammam district Bayyaram, where a steel factory has been proposed is of the Magnetite variety.' He said, GSI is going to conduct a research in Uddanam area Srikakulam district, where deaths relating to unidentified kidney ailments have been widely reported, recently.

'The Geoscientific activities of the Southern region of GSI are spread over six states, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry' (UT) and Kerala.' GSI has completed the systematic geological mapping of the six states.' GSI is involved in generating data base of mineral resources in the country.

GSI carried out pre-construction and construction stage investigation at major'' Engineering projects' like- J. Chokka'' Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme, Kaleshwaram Project/ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella Sujala Sravanthi Scheme, (Telangana); Sillahalla pumped storage H. E. Project (SPSHEP), Kundah pumped storage H. E. Project (Kpshep), (Tamil Nadu); Meloram Small Hydroelectric Project (SHEP), Pambla Western Kallar, Keerithodu, Peechad, Upper Sengulam HEP, Chinnar HEP, Upper Kallar (Construction stage) SHEP and Idukki HEP (Post-construction stage) Kakkayam SHEP (Construction stage), Barapole SHEP, (Kerala).