Diamonds: India
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Mahbubnagar
Its potential
The Times of India, Aug 10 2015
Syed Akbar
T'gana sitting on a bed of diamonds
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 largescale 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 KrishnaTungabhadra-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.
Panna
1961: 44.55 carats, 2018: 42.9 carats
Labourer digs up ₹1.5cr diamond in Panna, October 10, 2018: The Times of India
From: Labourer digs up ₹1.5cr diamond in Panna, October 10, 2018: The Times of India
Daily wager Motilal Prajapati holds up his Diwali sparkle — all Rs 1.5 crore of it — and says, “Mazaa aa gaya.” The 30-year-old, who toils on minimum wages to feed his family, has dug up the second biggest diamond ever to be found in Panna, MP.
“The sparkler he found weighs 42.9 carat. The heaviest one ever found in Panna weighed 44.55 carat and it was dug up in 1961,” said Santosh Singh, diamond officer of Panna, adding: “The gem has been valued at over Rs 1.5 crore. We will auction it.” The government takes about 12% royalty, but that still makes Motilal a crorepati. He had taken an 8mx8m patch on lease in Patti village, 45 days ago. Scores come to try their luck in the diamond mines of Panna — you can hire a 64 sqm patch for just Rs 250 a year and try your luck. But very rarely does anyone get lucky. The last time it happened was in July 2017 when a farmer found a 5.8 carat diamond, valued then at Rs 20 lakh.
2016
The Times of India, August 25, 2016
P Naveen
MP labourer finds diamond worth Rs 10 lakh
In Madhya Pradesh's happy hunting grounds for diamond diggers, where global mining giant Rio Tinto wrapped up exploration after a decade, a poor man from Panna district hit a jackpot, just 100km away from its Chhatarpur project. Devidayal Reydas, 22, stumbled upon a 3.39 carat raw diamond and deposited it at the Panna office that holds an auction thrice a year. “This diamond is worth Rs 10 lakh. We will auction it in the next session and the money would be e-credited to Reydas's account after deduction of 11% royalty on cost,“ said Ratnesh Dixit, Panna's diamond officer.Dixit's office has received nearly 100 carat diamonds from 700 shallow mines this year.
Panna draws diamond prospectors who dream of striking it rich overnight. It is estimated that diamonds worth crores are smuggled out of the state via Gujarat and the local administration has done little to end the illegal trade. Devidayal was just among those who tried his luck, but went the legal way .
