The Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh is the main diamond producing area. Recoverable reserves of about 1 Mcts have been estimated. An additional 265 000 carats have been classified as"submarginal reserves". Here the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) of India operates the country's only diamond mine, Majhgawan in Panna. The mine produced 25,000 ct of good quality diamonds in 2003. The Dharwar craton has been the target for India's diamondfierous kimberlite potential, with De Beers applying for several reconnaissance licenses for the Karnataka State as well as a 30 000 km2 area in Orissa, 30 000 km2 in Chhattisgarh and a 10 000 km2in Western Maharashtra.
De Beers, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton (in joint venture with Dwyka diamonds), Oropa and Indian Resources are exzploring for diamonds in several states of India. Orapa's evaluation of the Mainpur diamond field is on hold because of legal disputes.
The Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh is the main diamond producing...
Add to My Watchlist
What is My Watchlist?
