Jammu, May 10 : A meeting chaired by Secretary of Mining, Amit Sharma, was held at the Civil Secretariat to finalize the strategy for conducting a detailed exploration study of ‘Jammu Sapphire’ in the Padder area of Kishtwar district. The meeting was attended by experts from the Mining Department, Director Geology and Mining O.P. Bhagat, Additional Secretary Mining Arun Kishore Kotwal, Director Geological Survey of India (GSI) J&K Ajay Kumar, General Manager Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL) P. Ravindran, MD J-K Minerals Limited Vikram K Gupta, geologists, and others.
During the meeting, the GSI team presented the results of their exploratory studies conducted over the past few years, highlighting the presence of Sapphire and Ruby-like precious gems, primarily in Corundum form, in various Adits in the Khan area of Padder.
The MECL team also presented their detailed exploration plans for the upcoming summer months. As a specialist in scientific exploration, MECL has been entrusted by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to conduct the detailed exploration of the area. The government will establish policy-level and execution-level Steering Committees to ensure the smooth and timely completion of the project. MECL will provide detailed timelines that will be reviewed on a weekly basis by the government.
Secretary Amit Sharma instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar, Devansh Yadav, to extend full support to the Working Group led by the Director of Geology and Mining for the upcoming exploration of Padder Mines in Kishtwar.
This initiative, launched under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the guidance of Chief Secretary Dr. Arun K Mehta, is the first of its kind and is being initiated by MECL through NMET Funding on scientific principles.
The MECL officers assured that they would utilize the best machinery and experienced workforce to ensure the success of the operation. Secretary Sharma also urged the MD of JKML to share past experiences and insights gained while exploring and mining Sapphire in Padder, enabling MECL to enhance their exploration methodologies using the latest techniques such as drone surveillance for achieving multiple successes within the limited time frame.
