Gold mine discovered in Odisha; survey underway to explore more

A gold mine has been found in Odisha, with ongoing inspections to locate more gold deposits, as announced by Steel & Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena

The discovery was made during a G2 level inspection for copper ore in the Adasa-Ramapalli area of Deogarh district by the Geological Survey of India (GSI)

Approximately 1,685 kg of gold ore was detected along with copper in the Adasa area

The government is planning to auction the gold mine block and has been conducting re-inspections since 2021-22 in various areas, including Keonjhar district

Past surveys in Telkoi tehsil detected one gram of gold per tonne of ore in two quartz veins, but excavation plans are on hold until the standard and quantity of the gold mine are confirmed

Further surveys are being conducted by the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) at several locations, including Mankadachuan in Angul district and Saleikana and Dimirimunda in Keonjhar district

Primary surveys are also underway to find gold deposits in various areas in Mayurbhanj district, such as Jashipur, Suriagoda, Ruansi, Idelkucha, Marudihi, Sulaipat, and Badampahar

Additional potential gold deposits have been identified in Sundargarh, Nabarangpur, Angul, Koraput, Malkangiri, Sambalpur, and Boudh districts, although surveys have yet to be conducted there

Currently, the state government has no plans to set up a processing unit for extracting gold from ores