Hyderabad :

The perennially drought-hit Mahbubnagar district could well turn out to be another Golconda, once famous as a city where diamonds were sold in heaps at roadside shops. The district, known for its large-scale annual migration of labour, is virtually sitting on diamond mines that could change the fortunes of the nascent Telangana state, experts say.

Researchers from the Centre of Exploration Geophysics, Osmania University, have identified as many as 21 new potential diamond zones in Mahbubnagar and villages abutting the border with Gulbarga and Raichur. Several places on the road between Mahbubnagar and Raichur are dotted with potential diamond zones. There have been several studies on the diamond potentiality of Mahbubnagar in the past, but this is the first time that about two dozen zones have been identified.

Earlier, scattered potential diamond locations were identified in the area between the Krishna and Bhima rivers, and the Krishna-Tungabhadra-Penna river zone. At least half a dozen government and commercial organizations are currently on a ‘diamond hunt’ in the district. The Geological Survey of India had found three diamond zones in the past.

Prof G Ramadass, who carried out aeromagnetic studies over an area of 1,999 sq km, said the potential diamond zones were buried 1.2 km down in the earth and more ground research may yield the precious stones.

“We have found kimberlite pipes at 21 places. Though not all kimberlite pipes bear diamonds, there have been instances where diamond zones were found in Mahbubnagar. We need to undertake further studies to explore the diamond-bearing potentiality of these places,” he added. Besides Ramadass, the OU team comprised M Preeti and A Subhash Babu.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / by Syed Akbar, TNN / August 10th, 2015