Our Reporter
Dimapur, July 28 (EMN): Nagaland minister of Soil and Water Conservation and Geology and Mining, V Kashiho Sangtam, has said Nagaland state is endowed with substantial mineral resources, which however still remain largely untapped.
The minister expressed confidence that the state Geology and Mining department, with its huge pool of technical knowledge, would be able to generate systematic data on mineral resources and formulate strategies for their exploitation to benefit the state and its people.
Sangtam said with greatly improved geological knowledge and exploration technology, there is a pressing demand nationwide to accelerate mineral exploration.
The minister was addressing the inaugural programme of the 42nd State Geological Programming Board (SGPB) meeting of the department of Geology and Mining held here at the department’s conference hall on Thursday.
He said a self-reliant economy is the vision of every nation and state and that "minerals" are the backbone for a stable economy.
Though growth and development have their positive impacts, he cautioned that rapid urbanisation can also result in a number of negative impacts in relation to earth resources like depletion of groundwater, increased risk of people living in landslide prone areas and other anthropogenic disasters.
The minister urged the department to work effectively in formulation of judicious policies as well as the implementation part in order to mitigate the impending disasters.
Thursday’s meeting, attended by dignitaries from various central and state government departments and agencies, discussed new ideas to tackle the challenges hindering the works and activities of the department and also to formulate clear strategies to achieve the department’s vision of sustainable utilisation of its mineral resources.
Additional director and HoD of Geology and Mining, Tsuknung Jamir, in his welcome address, shared the activities conducted by the department. Informing that one of the major activities undertaken by the department was exploration of minerals resources of the state, Jamir said in Mokokchung district, the department conducted coal exploration in three blocks (G2) covering an area of 29.42 square km with an estimated 248.52 million tonnes of coal reserve.
The HoD also informed that in Mon, Wokha, Longleng and Tuensang districts, G2 required exploration would be taken up by the department in approximately 240.89 square kilometer of coal bearing areas.
Limestone (chemical and cement grade limestone) exploration activities has been taken up in Kiphire, Phek and Noklak district, he said and added that the state has abundant of sandstone in entire districts of the state.