Geological survey has revealed deposits of a variety of gemstones, gold and diamond in Boudh district, informed Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick in the State Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a question by Mahidhara Rana, he said as informed by his department, there have been traces of gold deposits along beds of Mahanadi and Tel rivers in the Kudagan, Janhapanka and Ramgarh areas of the district.However, the volume of gold deposits in these areas has not been ascertained, he said.The Minister also said that there have been deposits of topaz, zircon, moonstone and agate in the Boudh-Ramgarh area; garnet, topaz and tourmaline stones in the Boudh-Kantamal area; and blue and green tourmaline in the Baragochha area of the district.
Besides, the district also has manganese deposits in the Sitalapani and Dhebermal areas; zeolite in Baisipada, Ramgarh, Krushnamohanpur and Radhanagar; and pegmatite in the Kalasulia, Gopalpur, Sakamala, Kanapa, Bijamari, Didingipadar, Saleipahala, Goudisahi, Sialimunda and Ambajori areas, Mallick said.
Boudh district also has deposits of graphite, china clay, quartz, silica sand and lime concord which the State Government has leased out to various private agencies, the Minister informed.