Believe it or not, Bihar has the largest gold reserve in the country with a staggering 42.21% of the total gold reserve in the country. The second place is held by Rajasthan with nearly 25%. The traditional gold producing state, Karnataka is in third place with 21% of gold reserves. This was revealed a few weeks back when the National Minerals Inventory data on gold resources in the country was presented by the Union Minister of Mines, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs in reply to a question in the Parliament.
The question that comes into everyone’s mind is why has not the Indian Government send an expedition to discover gold deposits in Bihar. According to a survey, most of the deposits in Bihar are believed to be concentrated in three districts – Gaya, Rajgir and Jamui. The potential gold mines lie in dense forests, rugged terrain and Naxalite-prone areas. The presence of a large number of Naxals in the forests has held up searching operations for minerals in these areas. Nevertheless, the Indian Government is certain that as soon as the Naxals come into the mainstream of education and development, the Indian Government will launch a gold rush to these rural and backward areas, triggering new jobs for the locals and improvement in transportation.
In the year 2020-21, gold ore exploration projects have been started in Ajaynagar block in Gaya district in South Bihar and in the border regions of West Champaran district in North Bihar. Extensive research is necessary for first-hand identification of gold in the region. Gold is a costly material to be extracted from its ores, and it is very rare in nature. This makes gold one of the most expensive metals on Earth. India imports almost all of its consumption from foreign countries. Only the Hutti mine in Karnataka is the active gold mine in the country after the famed Kolar Gold Mines shut its gates in 2001. The country is looking for alternatives to cut down imports. The Discovery of gold reserves in the country will surely boost the Indian economy, which has dwindled to a historic minimum due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Written by – Himadri Paul