Hitting upon a diamond mine

The discovery of a third diamond in Baghain river basin near Kalinjar in Banda district has paved the way for mining of precious mineral in Uttar Pradesh. Rajesh Kumar Singh reports.

The discovery of a third diamond in Baghain river basin near Kalinjar in Banda district has paved the way for mining of precious mineral in Uttar Pradesh.

HT Image

Department of Mineral and Mining had launched survey programme in the river basin area few years back.

In 2005, the first diamond was found. And in 2007, a second diamond was discovered. The officers continued with their search and a third diamond tumbled out in the last week of April.

All the three diamonds are on display in the Mining Department museum. Joint Director in the Mineral and Mining Department S.A. Farooqui said the discovery of three diamonds is a clear indication that the precious gem was available in the Baghain river basin area.

Diamond have been earlier found in Penner, Krishna and Godavari river basin area and Baghain will be the new addition to the list of the rivers across the country.

Interestingly, neither kimberlite pipe nor lamproite volcanic pipe that brings diamond crystal to the surface has been found in Banda district.

These pipes have been found in adjacent Panna district across the border in Madhya Pradesh. Then how come diamond was discovered in Banda district?

It was a geological phenomenon that went in Uttar Pradesh’s favour. While flowing through Panna, the Baghain river had been carrying the mineral and depositing it in the Kalinjar area of Banda district.

The diamonds have been discovered in the old river channel area.

Before going for mining on commercial basis the Mineral and Mining Department had dispatched the samples to Indian Bureau of Mines offices located at Nagpur and Hatti in Karnataka. “We want to tally our finding with that of the top institutes,” officials said.