Sonbhadra gold deposits: GSI says estimated gold reserve is 160 kg

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has rejected claims of around 3000 tonnes of gold deposits in UP's Sonbhadra district, saying the estimated reserve is 160 kg.

Sonbhadra district mining officer K K Rai had said on Friday that gold deposits were found in Son Pahadi and Hardi areas of the district.

The deposits in Son Pahadi are estimated to be around 2,943.26 tonnes, while that at Hardi block are around 646.16 kilogram, the official had said.

However, GSI Director General (DG) M Sridhar told PTI in Kolkata on Saturday evening that "The mineralised zone having an average grade of 3.03 grams per tonne of gold is tentative in nature and the total gold which can be extracted from the total resource of 52,806.25 tonnes of ore is approximately 160 kg and not 3,350 tonnes as mentioned in the media".

On the claim by the district official, he said, "Such data was not given by anybody from GSI.... GSI has not estimated such kind of vast resource of gold deposits in Sonbhadra district.

"We share our findings regarding any resources of ore after conducting survey with state units.... We (GSI, Northern Region) had carried out work in that region in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. The report was shared with UP DGM for information and further necessary action," he said.

Sridhar said that in its report after exploration in the district "the GSI has estimated a probable category resource of 52,806.25 tonnes of ore with 3.03 grams per tonne gold (average grade) for a strike length of 170m in Sub- Block-H, Son Pahadi of Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh".

The GSI is headquartered in Kolkata.