Saima Bhat
Srinagar
The process of extracting minerals from border areas of Jammu and Kashmir will start soon. The revival options of the activity which was halted with the break out of armed struggle in 1989 are being explored.
To restart the process and assess the potential of natural resources in Jammu and Kashmir, the department of Geology and Mining through its different wings has carried out surveys to check out the potential of state for various minerals.
Various natural resources available for extraction include limestone, gypsum, marble, granite, quartzite, bauxite, borax, slate, quart and silica sand, dolomite, magnesium, sapphire, coal, china clay, bentonite clay, graphite and lignite. To start with various industrial estates are being set across the state to start benefiting from the natural resources.
Revealing information in response to question asked by lawmaker, Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah, so far, 4334 kannals of land in Jammu, 1576.39 kannals in Kashmir and 321 kannals of land in Leh have been allocated since 2009 for the creation of various Industrial estates for the extraction. The industrial estates in Jammu region have already been established while as in Kashmir and Leh are still in process.
The government says that in different mining operations, it was revealed that deposits of sapphire are also available and extracted from the mines at Paddar, Kisthwar. Marble was also extracted from Kupwara district. But later on extraction of some minerals, which were being extracted from border areas, was stopped with the breakout
The government document reveals no deposits of magnesium have been discovered in the state but mining of coal is being carried out from various mines situated at Kalakote and Rajouri.
