ANANTAPUR | September 15, 2016:

A team of experts from the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) is in search of a prospective kimberlite (diamond ore) mine in the forests surrounding the mandals of Vajrakarur and Kalyanadurgam of Anantapur district. District Forest Officer Chandrasekhar Reddy told

The Hindu that the team had been into the forests of the two mandals of the district for the past four months surveying the area for prospective sites to drill borewells in search of the mining site.

“An application was filed by the NMDC for drilling 63 borewells in 153 hectares of the forest land spread over Kalyanadurg south and north reserve forest areas besides that of the Budigonda reserve forest area,” said Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy.

While the GSI is present in the Vajrakarur village through a permanent research station, the NMDC is the recent entrant into the field.

Srinivas Chowdary, Assistant Director, Mines and Geology Department here, told The Hindu that the NMDC had applied for and received a prospective mining lease in the district a few years ago.

However, due to lack of permissions from the Forest Department, it could not go ahead with the exercise during the lease period.

“Currently an application for renewal of prospective mining lease has been sent to the government and its response is awaited,” said Mr. Chowdary.

Meanwhile, an NMDC official, speaking on condition of anonymity told The Hindu that they had identified close to 100 sites till date for drilling borewells.

(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)