Goa sitting on a gold mine, says researcher

PANJIM, JAN 3
Goa can be a next destination for gold mines with umpteen reserves being tapped inside the 15 percent of state’s total area, a researcher said today.
Goa University’s Assistant Professor Department of Botany has claimed that during his research, he has discovered secondary gold along the State’s Sanvordem rock formation which runs from Pernem-Panjim and extends upto Salcete.
“In the area of one lakh hectares there will be area of 20,000 to 40,000 hectares which is gold bearing,” Dr Nandkumar Kamat told reporters.
He said that the gold deposits can be to the tune of 6000 MT maximum or minimum 3000 MT with an estimated market value of Rs 600 billion to Rs 1200 billion.  “The gold deposits are located somewhere 65 metres down the earth on Sanvordem rock formation,” Dr Kamat said.
Dr Kamat said that this is first such discovery in Asia with the confirmed presence of bacterioform gold, which is an important breakthrough in geomicrobiological and scientific studies.
The researcher has already submitted a confidential report to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat seeking to have moratorium in North Goa on excavations below 60 metres depth or below sea level.
In his letter to the chief minister on December 30, 2010, Kamat has insisted that a technical committee be formed for carrying out systematic geoprospecting and geochemical studies by drilling and analyzing deep subsurface core samples and create an atlas of gold deposits in Goa.
 Dr Kamat, who claims that this is the fist report of microbiogenesis of gold under lateritic strata, said that Goa has a huge laterite stone presence.
“Presence of laterite stone is very significant from the gold point of view,” he said.
“No mining (of gold) should be permitted till full geochemical prospecting is over,” Kamat added saying that land use policy to be proactive to lock in subsurface gold as strategic mineral reserve.