A S Wazir
While working in Konkan Railway as Chief Engineer on Katra- Banihal Sector of Jammu – Srinagar Railway line, an urgent necessity of construction of a service road across Chingi nallah near Sangaldan to link the proposed Loale Railway station site for station’s construction was considered on war footing. During course of execution of this 14 km long Approach Road, which starts from Chingi nallah bridge site (23rd km on Ramban-Gool road) and goes on its lower contours upside along the right bank of River Chenab near village Dhamkund, we encountered, unexpectedly, a unique and astonishing feature of presence of huge stock of pure white gypsum in the form of hillocks present in thick layers all along the executed stretch of this 14 km long approach road. This thick layer of Gypsum mineral virtually, starts from the configuration point of Changi nallah with River Chenab at about 2 kms upside of existing Dhamkund Suspension Bridge on Chenab river, about 21 kms from Ramban district Head Quarters on Ramban-Gool road.
The matter was immediately brought to the notice of the concerned J&K Minerals Department by the Konkan Railway authorities. This important issue was also brought to the knowledge of the then Dy. Chief Minister, J&K Government (who also happened to be Minister Incharge J&K Minerals Department) during course of a courtesy visit of the Managing Director Konkan Railway to Dy. CM Minister at Srinagar, Kashmir. He was kind to listen to the issue, call the Managing Director of the Minerals Department immediately and arrange/order joint site inspection. The team of officials of the J&K Minerals Department, after site visit directed stoppage of the constructional activities by Konkan Railway immediately desiring for the realignment of the Konkan Road network. The Officers of J&K Minerals Department and Techno-Geological Experts of Konkan Railway, thereafter, confirmed presence of huge reserves of Pure form of Gypsum valuing crores and crores of rupees, all existing in the lower contours on the bank of Chenab River, which if not extracted before coming up of nearby Sawlakote Hydro-electric Project in next 5 to 6 years, will get submerged in the Sawlakote Dam Lake. In the background of this development, the J&K Minerals Department chalked out strategy to extract gypsum from the mines on large scale. Ever since J&K Mineral Department has been extracting a few truck-load of gypsum from the Parlanka mines on day- basis sometime with long interruptions in between – considered quite inadequately looking to the completion schedule of Sawlakote Dam project thereby causing fear of uncertainty for its full extraction before submergence in Dam lake.
In this context, it is pertinent to mention that the work of construction of Sawlakote Hydro Electric Dam has since been started. Road net work has almost been completed. Due to some contractual problems, the main dam work had been held up temporarily. However, coming up of the dam and its Lake is expected any time within next 5 to 6 years. Contrary to this fact, the extraction of full Gypsum Reserve of Parlanka Mines near Sangaldan, all existing below submergence level of the dam lake, by use of all type of modern Technology available in the country, working on war footings is opined to take more than 10 long years. The people of the vast area surrounding Sangaldan has the cynicism that there is quite inadequate deployment of resources for the extraction of gypsum stock at site of mines and have, therefore, apprehensions that a major chunk of this White Gold valuing worth millions of rupees having potential of generating huge financial and employment resources for the state of Jammu & Kashmir, may be prey to the vast water body of the Dam lake in near future if extraction is not carried out with modern technology on war footing. Let the details with uptodate picture be brought to the knowledge of those people who have remained eagerly waiting for the development of their otherwise, remote backward area on the resources of Gypsum outcome.
In our quest for technical knowhow of these Gypsum Mines and further follow-up curiosity to know more about the facts and the figures with reasons as to why such huge natural resources (if at all) which could, otherwise, be a boom for the employment opportunities and the development of this vast backward and economically shattered population of the area, have remained attended with lukewarm treatment and not exploited adequately for public benefits at earlier stage, the exercise revealed stunning picture. It has come to our knowledge from reliable sources that Jammu & Kashmir State Minerals Department, about four decades back in early eighties, had got the detailed survey and investigation done through some specialized agencies, to evaluate and find out the extent, type and quality of Gypsum in two Gypsum Reserves of J&K State namely “PARLANKA GYPSUM RESERVES” at village Dhamkund near Ramban in Jammu Province and other “URI GYPSUM RESERVES” near Baramulla in Kashmir Province. Both the Reserves are reported to have tremendous potential of extracting good quality Gypsum ranging to as much as 99 Million Tons (which can easily be extracted for commercial use). Confirmation of availability of this much quantity of Gypsum in these two reserves has also been reported to be got made by J&K Minerals Deptt. through the Geological Survey of India, under the supervision of their senior and capable Expert like M.L. Bhat. It has further come to our awareness that the quantity of Gypsum Reserves of Uri has been got authenticated by the J&K Minerals Deptt. through their the then renowned Geological Expert K.S.Chib. The Gypsum Reserves of Parlanka Mines at Dhamkund (Ramban) in Jammu which may have the present market value ranging to multi milliom rupees, are reported to be existing at a level lower than the proposed Sawlakote Hydro-Electric Dam Lake level and as per geological experts’ opinion, the extraction of Gypsum in its full quantity is going to take years together. On the other hand formation of the Sawlakote Dam Lake body may be a reality in next 5 to 6 years. The people have, therefore, quite genuine apprehensions that a major chunk of Gypsum may get submerged in the Sawlakote dam lake before its full extraction.
The existence of such two Giant Reserves having potential of nearly 99 million tons of good quality Gypsum sufficient enough to generate revenue which could shape the economy and employment problem of the State, is learnt to have been established somewhere in early eighties, yet, surprisingly, the things have allegedly been evaded, ignored and no deserving attention has been given to such important issues. It has been given to understand that the work of extraction of Gypsum from two sites of Dhamkund and Uri was allotted to private agencies somewhere in the year 2002-03. The extraction of gypsum at Uri site is going on ever-since.
The Gypsum extraction Contract for Parlanka Gypsum Reserves at Dhamkund is also reported to have been allotted to one Private Entrepreneur M/S Maheshwari of Calcutta by the J&K Minerals Department somewhere in 2002-03 on the guidelines of Indian Bureau of Mining, Govt. of India. The contract is reported to has been subsequently cancelled by the J&K Mining Department for the reasons unknown, not allowing the contractor to start his assignment even.
No considerable activity for the extraction of gypsum is believed to have been going on at the site of Parlanka Mines near Ramban eversince cancellation of the contract except extraction of a few truck-loads of gypsum on day to day basis which is being considered as quite inadequate in light of the prevailing circumstances.
The apprehensions of the people and the fear of further such trouble of submergence of a bulk of gypsum reserves is genuinely haunting their soul. The GysumReseres of Parlanka Mines situated along the right bank of river Chenab near Dhamkund, as is seen from Ramban Gool Road running along river’s left bank, are still seen existing with their white shining appearance.
Information gathered from different quarters lead to believe that huge Reserves of Purest form of Gypsum available in these two reserves of J&K State have the potential of generating State revenue beyond its figure of imaginations. Even the Parlanka Reserves of Gypsum mines existing near Dhamkund ( Ramban) are opined to be sufficient enough to change the economy of this vast backward area of district Ramban with capacity to generate employment of thousands of the youth; it should not be allowed to go waste and submerge. The Sawlakote Hydro-electric Project is under construction these days. Construction of main Concrete dam on river Chenab near Dhamkund (Ramban) and coming up of dam lake on its upstream within next 5 to 6 years is a reality now; there is, therefore, still sufficient time till the formation of the Dam Lake. Call of the time, therefore, may demand serious efforts for extraction of gypsum likely to get submerged in the Lake in near future by way of utilizing most modern available machinery and technology synchronizing the planning of extraction with construction schedule of the Sawlakote Dam. Extraction of the gypsum with its possible transportation through ropeways, cleaning, grinding and packing at adequately available site of work will have the potential of generating tremendous job opportunities for the unemployed youth of this otherwise backward area.
Let the concerned State Administrative Department verify the facts of the issue involved and come up with the Vision Document clarifying their version of things in light of the fear and apprehension of the masses on possible submergence of Gypsum Reserves of Parlanka Mines of Dhamkund Jammu in the Sawlakote Dam lake in near future.
(The author is former Chief Engineer)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel