Three quarries of graphite reserves at Manasuti in Satbarwa block in Palamu are on the revival path. On May 17 Mines Commissioner cum Managing Director JSMDC Abu Bakar with a host of officials inspected one of the three mines and explored the possibility of its revival. The team had Sadar SDO Nancy Sahay too.
Speaking to The Pioneer the Mines Commissioner said, “The lease is to be first extended. Proposal is to come first. Once lease is extended then MDO will go ahead. We inspected one quarry. It is full of water. It has to be taken out. Mining can be done only after water is out.”
The SDO said, “A team of geologists will study the percentage and quality of graphite there. If found satisfactory then mining will start.” Inputs suggest that Satbarwa belt has rich deposits of graphite. The officials are of the view that water deposited can be used to irrigate barren land locally.
Nancy Sahay said, “We could not go to two other quarries as the condition and status of these two quarries was almost identical with the one which we had inspected. The quarries are spread over in nearly 25 acres.”
Sources said the team pushed for two other mines of lime stones at Semra and Salatoowa under Chainpur block. Speaking about the lime stone reserve the SDO said, “The reserve is huge. The reserve needs to be carefully explored and mined. However there were mining equipments including makeshift houses which are in a very extremely deplorable condition.”
Notably Palamu MP VD Ram, who is also a member of the lok Sabha Coal Consultative committee, is pursuing for the restart of mines and quarries located in his constituency. He also had a meeting with Chief Minister Raghubar Das also.
The team also visited grinding factory at Daltonganj based industrial unit where the picture was most dismal. The factory was shut and the complex looked weary.