No discovery of around 3000-tonne gold deposits in UP's Sonbhadra: Geological Survey of India

Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Saturday said re has been discovery of gold deposits estimated to be around 3,000 tonnes in Sonbhra district of Uttar Presh, as claimed by a district mining official. "Such data was t given by anybody from GSI.... GSI has t estimated such kind of vast resource of gold deposits in Sonbhra district," GSI Director General (DG) M Sridhar told PTI in Kolkata this evening.

"We share our findings regarding any resources of ore after conducting survey with state units.... We (GSI, rrn Region) h carried out work in that region in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. report was shared with UP DGM for information and furr necessary action," he said.

exploration works of GSI for gold was t satisfactory and results were t encouraging to come up with major resources for gold in Sonbhra district, he ded. Sonbhra district mining officer K K Rai h said on Friday that gold deposits were found in Son Pahi and Hardi areas of district.

deposits in Son Pahi are estimated to be around 2,943.26 tonnes, while that at Hardi block are around 646.16 kilogram, official said. Rejecting claim, Sridhar said that in its report after exploration in district " GSI has estimated a probable category resource of 52,806.25 tonnes of ore with 3.03 grams per tonne gold (aver gre) for a strike length of 170m in Sub- Block-H, Son Pahi of Sonbhra district of Uttar Presh".

" mineralised zone having an aver gre of 3.03 grams per tonne of gold is tentative in nature and total gold which can be extracted from total resource of 52,806.25 tonnes of ore is approximately 160 kg and t 3,350 tonnes as mentioned in media," DG clarified. GSI is hequartered in Kolkata.