GSI will identify 12 mineral blocks ready to auction

01 November 2016

Geological Survey of India (GSI) as mandated by the union government will identify at least 12 mineral block that can be readily put up for auction, noted Mandapalli Raju, Director-General. The present focus of exploration activities on land is to identify minerals in blocks such as iron ore, manganese, copper, lime stone and coal and GSI will identify the mineral blocks during the current field season, which also coincides with the fiscal year, Raju noted.

Raju said the surveys for mineral blocks on request from respective state governments are in different stages of exploration. “The survey reports will indicate G2 status of the blocks, that is, where they can be directly put up for auction,” Raju said, adding four of these blocks for iron ore are in Karnataka. “”GSI will carry out exploration for 30 blocks during 2017-18,” he added.

Noting that GSIs exploration work for yellow metal is also underway in mineral rich Jharkhand state, Raju said the organization is also eagerly awaiting the formulation of an off-shore mining policy for minerals such as sand, lime stone, lime mud, and phosphorites as well. The ministry of mines will bring out the stated policy, he said adding due care will be taken to ensure it does not stand afoul of current laws of the land including the Coastal Regulation Zone Act.

The demand for an off-shore mining policy has come from government of Kerala, which has urged the centre to formulate one given that it is sitting on a potential deposit of construction sand in an area of 2,797 sq.km off its coast. “We have identified this as potential area for construction sand,” he said adding GSI similarly has identified 4,525 sq.km, lying beyond 10-km from the coast line off AP, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, that is rich with construction and carbonate sand.

V Devdas, Deputy Director-General said once GSI indicates potential deposits of minerals both on land and in the sea, it is for government to form policies for its exploitation. As far as sand in concerned, off shore mining of sand is an accepted norm abroad, he said adding its environmental impact can be minimized by selectively mining an area, allowing it to rejuvenate in the interim and simultaneously go in for on-shore and off-shore mining for the mineral.

GSI is in the process of acquiring a state-of-the-art geo-technical vessel that is capable of drilling up to depth of 30 metres below sea bed. “This will give us accurate estimate of mineral and other reserves below Sea,” he said tender process for the vessel is on. “We are expecting vessel to join us either by December 2017 or early 2018,” he said adding it will add to existing fleet of research vessels – Samudra Ratnakar, Samudra Kausthubh and Samudra Shaudhikama with GSI.

About the surveys that GSI has carried out thus far, Raju said the organization has surveyed more than 98% of 2,012 million sqkm of Exclusive Economic Zone, including about 1,05,000 sq km of territorial waters of India. GSI makes available data from its surveys to the government and general public, he said, adding even government and private organisations make use of the baseline data that it generates. “We do not commercially exploit such data,” Raju asserted.

Source – TOI