Bengaluru firm gets licence to hunt gold in 10,000 acres of Chikkamagaluru land: Report

Karnataka Forest Department is evaluating Bengaluru firm's request for gold prospecting in 10,082 acres, including forest and agricultural land.

The Karnataka Forest Department is considering a request from Aurum Geo Exploration Private Limited to carry out gold prospecting in 10,082 acres of land in Tarikere, Chikkamagaluru district, of which 5,600 acres fall under forest area and 3,600 acres under agricultural land.

The Department of Mines and Geology has already granted the company a composite licence for exploration.

According to documents, the Department of Mines and Geology has already granted the company a composite licence for exploration. Aurum, which won the tender floated last year, has proposed drilling 100 boreholes to assess the volume of deposits and the viability of mining operations, Deccan Herald reported.

According to the report, previous surveys in the region suggested gold values ranging from 19 grams per tonne to as high as 80 grams per tonne. The company noted that old workings for gold have been reported from Singanamane, Tambadihalli, Gonibidu, and Honnuhatti of Hosuru. However, Aurum admitted that studying the rock layers in the belt was “beset with considerable difficulty” owing to the dense and inaccessible forest cover.

The company has promised safeguards during exploration. The company has said measures will be taken to minimise the pollution (if any) during the trenching and drilling operations.

While the Forest Department’s own list does not mention leopards or four-horned antelopes, conservationists argue these species have been documented in the area. The department’s working plan also notes frequent movement of elephants and Indian gaur from the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, with animals often raiding crops in the Lakkavalli and Tarikere ranges.