Date | Dec 22, 2016:
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has found large gold deposits spread over 600 sq km between Shikaripur in Shivamogga district and Honnali taluk of Davangere district.
According to the GSI sources, this is the largest gold deposit in Karnataka - next to Kolar Gold Fields and Hutti (Raichur district).
A team of experts from Remote Sensing and Aero-Geophysical Survey unit of the GSI has camped in the district for the past one week to conduct an aerial survey of the gold deposit.
The experts are also assessing the quantity of the ore available. Explaining the process, P C Das, Superintending Geologist and head of the team said that a remote sensing device attached to a helicopter scans the earth’s surface into a depth of 500 metre, from an altitude of 90 metres.
“We are conducting electromagnetic, magnetic and radiomagnetic surveys. They will provide valuable inputs on gold deposits,” he said.
The scientists of Mines and Geology department of Karnataka had conducted a primary survey in this region decades ago and had submitted a report to the government indicating presence of significant gold deposit.
Based on this report, the state government had requested the GSI to conduct a survey. “The three types of surveys have revealed presence of gold deposits. We will demarcate the exact spot and assess the quantity of ore available. A report will be submitted to the state government by September 2017, after consolidating the data gathered during survey,” Das added.
Senior geophysicist N K Vinod, who is part of the team, said that 600-sq km area had been divided into 200-metre lanes and around 20 lanes were being surveyed per day.
The GSI team is camping near Sogane, where it has been proposed to construct an airport for Shivamogga. DH News Service
(Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/)