Context-Sonbhadra, east UP’s mineral-rich district, could be sitting on a gold reserve of approximately 3,000 tonnes — five times India’s current reserve of 618.2 tonnes — worth over Rs 12 lakh crore.

About SGF

• SGF is a mining region and belongs to a Sonbhadra district of UttarPradesh.
• The work for finding gold reserves in Sonbhadra started in the year 1992-93 after the Central Geological Survey of India took over.

Total gold estimates

• The total estimated reserve of gold in Sona Pahadi block is 2,943 tonnes.
• The GSI has estimated that another 646 kg gold reserve could be found at Hardi block.

Other minerals found

• Besides the gold reserves, the GSI team has also found the presence of ores of other metal and minerals.
• They include:

Andalusite, aluminium nesosilicate mineral (95.02 tonnes) in Pulawar and Salaidih blocks, Potash (9.46 tonnes) in Patwadh block and iron (14.97 tonnes) in Bharhari block. Sillimanite, an aluminosilicate mineral (9.8 tonnes) have also been explored in Chhipiya block of district.

Significance of the mine

• If these estimates hold true, India’s gold reserve would jump to second place behind US.
• According to the World Gold Council’s (WGC) data, the US has the largest gold holding with 8,133.5 tonnes, followed by Germany with 3,366 tonnes and IMF with 2,814 tonnes. Italy (2,451.8 tonnes) and France (2,436 tonnes) make the top five.