Mineral Exploration – The homework that needs to be done –
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 20 2012 -
For rapid industrialization to take place in any part of the world there is the need to pay attention to proper utilization of natural resources, more particularly, the available minerals of that area or region.
As of now, Manipur may not exactly fit the bill of an industrialized state, but the successive studies and surveys conducted by Geological Survey of India has come up with the findings that Manipur is, after all, not such a poor state when it comes to the rich mineral deposits it has been sitting upon for so long without any proper exploration.
In a systematic geological mapping conducted in different parts of the state, it has been found out that 58 percent of the total geographical area of 22,327 sq. km in Manipur is rich in mineral deposits of every kind while the remaining 42 percent are yet to be covered.
Considerable quantities of mineral deposits like copper, chromite, lignite, limestone, nickel, asbestos, etc, have been detected in Churachandpur, Ukhrul and Chandel districts.
In fact, Manipur has emerged as the only place to produce chromite in the entire North eastern region. What is even more interesting in the findings of GSI survey is the detection of Platinum Group Elements (PGEs) in Nungbi area of Ukhrul district.
PGEs are a group of six elements, namely platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), osmium (Os) and ruthenium (Ru), which are among the most scare of metallic elements and of most commercial significance.
To ensure proper exploration and utilization of these mineral deposits for ushering in rapid industrialization in Manipur, it is good to hear that the State Government is under the process of formulating a new State Mineral Policy, which would be different and separate from its existing Industrial Investment Policy, 2011.
While such concern is appreciable, the state government should keep in mind the need for careful extraction of the minerals along with the consent and involvement of the local people to avoid any possible conflict during the extraction process.
If the writing on the wall is any indication, we could already hear the rumbling sounds of protest from some quarters. Before taking up any developmental works, be it infrastructural development, exploration of oil or extraction of minerals, the government needs to consult and convince the people first of all.
Time and again, we have witnessed that short-sightedness on the part of the government from recognizing this need is always at the root cause of conflict or setback at the time of taking up any development project in Manipur.
Such needless conflicts or setbacks could be avoided with a little understanding of the inherent rights of the indigenous people over their lands and resources. This would also encourage the investors to join the venture, without whose support the dream of rapid industrialization may remain just a dream.
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