Morung Express News
August 30
DIMAPUR: The Directorate of Geology and Mining, Government of Nagaland, conducted its 25th State Geological Programming Board Meeting at its conference hall at Dimapur today.
The Chief Guest for the function was Doshehe Sema, Parliamentary Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs and Power. Incidentally, Doshehe is also a former geologist.
In his inaugural address, the legislator said that the Minor Mineral Concession Rules of Nagaland has already been notified by the Government which in turn is expected to galvanize the setting up of small industrial units by local entrepreneurs with systematic planning and management so as to generate employment and revenue for the State.
Doshehe said that the Scientist and the Technocrat could play a vital role in facilitating and catalyzing industrial growth in the State by projecting its assets, and thereby inviting major investment proposals.
While revealing that the Government was currently spending Rs. 70 crore per annum for purchase of power he requested the concerned Agencies for concrete actions on Desulphurization of North Eastern Coal including Nagaland Coal, to be suitably used in Thermal Power generation.
Hitting upon the comparatively new subject of Geo-tourism, Doshehe said that the department could play an important role by identifying structures of geological importance like limestone caves, lakes, etc., and developing them as tourist spots. “Man-made structures like a Rock Garden depicting various stone types of the State can also be another tourist destination site,” he said.
Doshehe also expressed happiness over the fact that in the last few years many central scientific agencies had come forward to assist the State Department in furtherance of mineral exploration.
In his introductory speech, HK Chishi, Director, DGM informed that the major mineral resources of the State are oil and gas, limestone, marble, nickel-cobalt-chromium bearing magnetite, varieties of dimension stones, coal and clay.
He lamented that the oil exploration in the State had unfortunately come to deadlock owing to ‘various factors.’ “This is one mineral resource, which when developed would change the economic prosperity and scenario of our State,” he said.
He further revealed that the groundwater exploration and developmental activities, initially confined to plain areas of Dimapur District, was now being extended to hilly areas of other districts in the State with the procurement of a DTH rig. Chishi further stated that Nagaland was virtually a virgin from the mineral exploration angle till the late sixties, when the existence of most of the mineral resource were unknown excepting a few preliminary geological surveys carried out mainly for coal resource by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and a few scout drilling for hydro carbon by the then Assam Oil Company.
He further said that with the establishment of Geological and Mining Department under the State government in the late part of 1968, an organized search for minerals, geological mapping and intensive exploration work had been carried out in various parts of the State.
Dr. V Balaram, Scientist-F, and Head of the Geochemistry Division, NGRI Hyderabad gave a presentation on the Prospect of Gold and Platinum on the Naga Hills Ophiolite.
The inaugural function was chaired by Vikho Yhoshu, OSD and Managing Director, NSMDC Ltd. Nagaland.
