Interesting facts about treasure hunting in Andhra Pradesh, India
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Syed Akbar
* Seven of world’s top 10 diamonds are from Andhra Pradesh. Kohinoor is the gift of the
river Krishna. The diamond potential of Andhra Pradesh is 20 lakh carats. The State is
also rich in reserves of coal, a poor cousin of the diamond.
* Search for the missing diamond named after the Nizam (Nizam’s diamond) continues. It
was last seen 60 years ago in the State treasury of Mir Osman Ali Khan. The World Diamond
Council describes it as a mysterious stone.
* The city had several tunnels where treasure is said to be hidden. Folklores describe
existence of tunnel between Charminar and Goshamahal and Golconda and Goshamahal.
* A few years ago, several graves in Naya Quila were vandalised in search of the grave of
the treasury officer of Abul Hasan Tanashah. It is believed the grave contains all the
treasure of the Qutub Shahis.
* Forts of Kakatiyas in Warangal, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar were dug up several times in
search of treasure.
* The Jacob diamond, which the Nizam VI, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, had wrapped in a blotting
paper and threw away in anger following a legal dispute between the diamond merchant and
the ruler was accidentally found many years later by his successor Mir Osman Ali Khan.
The diamond was found in a shoe.
*After the police action in 1948, palaces including the King Kothi palace were dug up in
search of treasure.
* During road widening works near Purani Haveli a few years ago, workers found a hollow
structure, which contained jewellery, gold and coins. False doors were reportedly found
in Purani Haveli and other palaces.
* The State Museum in Hyderabad contains 13000 gold coins found accidentally and seized
during raids on treasure hunters.
Showing posts with label Geology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geology. Show all posts
Monday, 5 March 2012
Treasure hunt in Andhra Pradesh: Government and people alike search for treasure trove, diamonds and precious stones
Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Officials digging up a school for suspected treasure trove may have
raised many an eyebrow, but search for hidden treasure has been an annual ritual in many
parts of Andhra Pradesh. Every monsoon hundreds of people in Kurnool, Krishna and
Visakhapatnam districts go out into riverbeds and on hill slopes in search of diamonds
and precious stones.
Treasure hunters down the ages have dug up almost everything that had even the remotest
association with treasure troves. From graves to old trees, palaces to temples, abandoned
houses to forest tracts, drains to tunnels, and riverbeds to hill slopes - all have been
the target of treasure seekers in Andhra Pradesh. This game of luck has been quite
interesting, as the chances of finding the treasure are four in 100 attempts.
The search for the elusive treasure is not without a sound reasoning, both historical and
geological. Andhra Pradesh has the second largest mineral resource in India and the State
boasts of producing seven of the world’s top 10 diamonds including the Kohinoor. The last
ruler of the erstwhile Hyderabad State was the richest man of his times. The empires of
Vijayanagar, Kakatiya, Golconda, and Kondaveedu in the recent past, as also the
Satavahanas, Vishnukundinis and Chalukyas in the distant past were known for vast
treasures and wealth.
“Treasure hunt is often triggered by folklore. There have been hundreds of cases of
vandalism in and around Hyderabad with organised gangs of treasure seekers digging up
even ancient graves. Unlike other States, Andhra Pradesh virtually sits on a treasure
trove – natural resources and those left by the rich and magnificent rulers. Several
palaces had special vaults where treasure was stored. Unfortunately, they were stolen by
the family members and servants after the fall of the kingdoms,” says Hyderabad city
historian Dr Muhammad Safiullah.
Incidentally, even as the archaeology department was digging up the premises of
Vidyaranya school in Hyderabad, a few hundred kilometers away in Tirupati, about 40
diamond experts from around the world including South Africa and the UK were
participating in a GSI meeting as part of the national diamond project on unearthing
diamonds. The GSI has found 53 kimberlite formations in Rayalaseema region.
Andhra Pradesh has a special tribe, whose members search for treasure in municipal
drains, sieving the sludge. A day-long search in the sewerage yields them money just
sufficient to buy food for the family. If the National Mineral Development Corporation,
the Geological Survey of India and multinational diamond majors search for diamonds and
precious stones using modern technology, the common person too does not lag behind.
Private treasure seekers use simple metal detectors and ground scanners and depend on
local folklore to zero in on the troves.
The family members of the erstwhile ruling class are said to be still searching for the
missing Nizam diamond, which commands a price of Rs 1000 crore in the international
market. The Nizam's diamond was last seen 60 years ago in the State treasury of then
Hyderabad State. It went missing in mysterious circumstances just before the Indian Army
annexed the Nizam's state in 1948. The diamond weighs 277 carats and the World Diamond
Council lists it as one of the "mysterious precious stones" of historical importance. It
is the second largest diamond ever mined from the Krishna valley (Golconda mines) after
the Great Moghul diamond.
Accidental finds of treasure has been a regular affair in the State. Coins accidentally
found during ploughing of fields and renovation of old houses now number over six lakh.
The State Archaeology Museum has thousands of gold coins, which together weigh about 130
kgs. Their antiquity value is almost 10 times more than the metal gold value.
According to Dr P Channa Reddy, State Treasure Trove officer, several locations in and
around Hyderabad are treasure trove-prone areas. Excavations in the past had yielded
clues to treasures.
Hyderabad had several secret air ducts, chambers and tunnels where money and valuable
jewellery were stored. It is believed that the city had in fact two underground palaces
near the Chowk abutting Charminar locality. Called the Dad Mahal and Moti Mahal, the
underground palaces were reportedly built by the Qutub Shahis for protection from the
invading Moghuls. These palaces, now lost, reportedly contained several valuables.
The precious stones and diamonds collected during rainy seasons along the river Krishna
and its tributaries and on hill slopes are secretly marketed in Vijayawada, Hyderabad and
Adhoni in Kurnool district. The treasure trove spots during monsoon include Adhoni, Alur,
Holigonda, Aspari and Pathikonda in Kurnool district, Vajrakarur and Vuravakonda in
Anantapur, and Jaggaiahpet, Paritala and Ramannapet in Krishna district. Precious and
coloured stones are found in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and
Srikakulam districts.
Andhra Pradesh has always been the favourite hunting ground of treasure searchers for
several centuries. Treasure hunting gangs armed with metal detectors and scanners have
vandalised several places in and around Hyderabad for they believe that the treasury
incharge of Tana Shah, the last of Qutub Sahahi kings, had fled with the Qutub Shahi
jewels from the invading Moghul army and the treasure was hidden somewhere around
Golconda.
In the last 15 years, the diamond resource in the State grew by 350 times to 20 lakh
carats, as teams from the GSI, NGRI and other organisations studied new areas for the
presence of diamonds.
Andhra Pradesh is rich in 48 minerals and it stands second in value of mineral
production, contributing eight per cent (Rs 4857 crore) of the country's mineral value
production of Rs 59509 crore. It earns foreign exchange of Rs 634 crores. Gold occurs in
11 districts and diamond is found over 50,000 sq kms spread over nine districts.
Hyderabad: Officials digging up a school for suspected treasure trove may have
raised many an eyebrow, but search for hidden treasure has been an annual ritual in many
parts of Andhra Pradesh. Every monsoon hundreds of people in Kurnool, Krishna and
Visakhapatnam districts go out into riverbeds and on hill slopes in search of diamonds
and precious stones.
Treasure hunters down the ages have dug up almost everything that had even the remotest
association with treasure troves. From graves to old trees, palaces to temples, abandoned
houses to forest tracts, drains to tunnels, and riverbeds to hill slopes - all have been
the target of treasure seekers in Andhra Pradesh. This game of luck has been quite
interesting, as the chances of finding the treasure are four in 100 attempts.
The search for the elusive treasure is not without a sound reasoning, both historical and
geological. Andhra Pradesh has the second largest mineral resource in India and the State
boasts of producing seven of the world’s top 10 diamonds including the Kohinoor. The last
ruler of the erstwhile Hyderabad State was the richest man of his times. The empires of
Vijayanagar, Kakatiya, Golconda, and Kondaveedu in the recent past, as also the
Satavahanas, Vishnukundinis and Chalukyas in the distant past were known for vast
treasures and wealth.
“Treasure hunt is often triggered by folklore. There have been hundreds of cases of
vandalism in and around Hyderabad with organised gangs of treasure seekers digging up
even ancient graves. Unlike other States, Andhra Pradesh virtually sits on a treasure
trove – natural resources and those left by the rich and magnificent rulers. Several
palaces had special vaults where treasure was stored. Unfortunately, they were stolen by
the family members and servants after the fall of the kingdoms,” says Hyderabad city
historian Dr Muhammad Safiullah.
Incidentally, even as the archaeology department was digging up the premises of
Vidyaranya school in Hyderabad, a few hundred kilometers away in Tirupati, about 40
diamond experts from around the world including South Africa and the UK were
participating in a GSI meeting as part of the national diamond project on unearthing
diamonds. The GSI has found 53 kimberlite formations in Rayalaseema region.
Andhra Pradesh has a special tribe, whose members search for treasure in municipal
drains, sieving the sludge. A day-long search in the sewerage yields them money just
sufficient to buy food for the family. If the National Mineral Development Corporation,
the Geological Survey of India and multinational diamond majors search for diamonds and
precious stones using modern technology, the common person too does not lag behind.
Private treasure seekers use simple metal detectors and ground scanners and depend on
local folklore to zero in on the troves.
The family members of the erstwhile ruling class are said to be still searching for the
missing Nizam diamond, which commands a price of Rs 1000 crore in the international
market. The Nizam's diamond was last seen 60 years ago in the State treasury of then
Hyderabad State. It went missing in mysterious circumstances just before the Indian Army
annexed the Nizam's state in 1948. The diamond weighs 277 carats and the World Diamond
Council lists it as one of the "mysterious precious stones" of historical importance. It
is the second largest diamond ever mined from the Krishna valley (Golconda mines) after
the Great Moghul diamond.
Accidental finds of treasure has been a regular affair in the State. Coins accidentally
found during ploughing of fields and renovation of old houses now number over six lakh.
The State Archaeology Museum has thousands of gold coins, which together weigh about 130
kgs. Their antiquity value is almost 10 times more than the metal gold value.
According to Dr P Channa Reddy, State Treasure Trove officer, several locations in and
around Hyderabad are treasure trove-prone areas. Excavations in the past had yielded
clues to treasures.
Hyderabad had several secret air ducts, chambers and tunnels where money and valuable
jewellery were stored. It is believed that the city had in fact two underground palaces
near the Chowk abutting Charminar locality. Called the Dad Mahal and Moti Mahal, the
underground palaces were reportedly built by the Qutub Shahis for protection from the
invading Moghuls. These palaces, now lost, reportedly contained several valuables.
The precious stones and diamonds collected during rainy seasons along the river Krishna
and its tributaries and on hill slopes are secretly marketed in Vijayawada, Hyderabad and
Adhoni in Kurnool district. The treasure trove spots during monsoon include Adhoni, Alur,
Holigonda, Aspari and Pathikonda in Kurnool district, Vajrakarur and Vuravakonda in
Anantapur, and Jaggaiahpet, Paritala and Ramannapet in Krishna district. Precious and
coloured stones are found in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and
Srikakulam districts.
Andhra Pradesh has always been the favourite hunting ground of treasure searchers for
several centuries. Treasure hunting gangs armed with metal detectors and scanners have
vandalised several places in and around Hyderabad for they believe that the treasury
incharge of Tana Shah, the last of Qutub Sahahi kings, had fled with the Qutub Shahi
jewels from the invading Moghul army and the treasure was hidden somewhere around
Golconda.
In the last 15 years, the diamond resource in the State grew by 350 times to 20 lakh
carats, as teams from the GSI, NGRI and other organisations studied new areas for the
presence of diamonds.
Andhra Pradesh is rich in 48 minerals and it stands second in value of mineral
production, contributing eight per cent (Rs 4857 crore) of the country's mineral value
production of Rs 59509 crore. It earns foreign exchange of Rs 634 crores. Gold occurs in
11 districts and diamond is found over 50,000 sq kms spread over nine districts.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
The Krishna delta is constantly growing at a “rapid pace” gaining as much as 28 sq km of area in the last five decades
Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: The Krishna delta is constantly growing at a “rapid
pace” gaining as much as 28 sq km of area in the last five decades.
A detailed analysis of the research data on the Krishna delta by the
Geological Survey of India reveals that the delta is regularly gaining
land at the “front” region. Delta front is the area that protrudes
into the sea. This in other words means that the Krishna delta has
projected further into the Bay of Bengal since the early 1960s.
The Krishna River divides into two main branches, a few kilometres
downstream of the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada. One branch joins the
Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladivi, while the other branch further divides
into three distributaries, which later join the sea downstream of
Nagayalanka.
According to GSI, the Krishna delta front is “constantly growing at a
rapid pace on both sides of all the three distributaries, particularly
the western most, through sand deposits (spits and bars). Over the
past half century, the Krishna delta has gained about 28 sq km of
area”. Since the growth is more in the western most distributary that
borders Repalle, the Krishna delta front is adding new area from the
Guntur district side.
The growth of the Krishna delta further into the sea (progradation)has been noticed at Kaikaluru- Bapatla strandline, Gudur strandline, Machilipatnam strandline and the Koduru strandline. The delta front is sandy or marshy in nature with a vast stretches of wild grasses or protected mangrove forests. The mangrove forests have gained some of this newly added area.
The Krishna delta is “lobate” (lobe like) and unique in having the
greatest protuberance of 37 km from the adjoining coast, points out
“GSI Memoirs”, containing the summerised data of the research work
done by GSI scientists at its Hyderabad centre. As new land is added
to the delta front, the protuberance into the sea increases. The
deltaic shore is about 90 km long.
A delta is highly sensitive to any change, natural or manmade. Changes
in the Krishna delta started after the construction of dams in the
upstream. This has reduced the sediment carrying capacity of the
river. With the outflow into the sea coming down drastically in the
last few decades, the sea is depositing sands, increasing the area of
the delta front.
Hyderabad: The Krishna delta is constantly growing at a “rapid
pace” gaining as much as 28 sq km of area in the last five decades.
A detailed analysis of the research data on the Krishna delta by the
Geological Survey of India reveals that the delta is regularly gaining
land at the “front” region. Delta front is the area that protrudes
into the sea. This in other words means that the Krishna delta has
projected further into the Bay of Bengal since the early 1960s.
The Krishna River divides into two main branches, a few kilometres
downstream of the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada. One branch joins the
Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladivi, while the other branch further divides
into three distributaries, which later join the sea downstream of
Nagayalanka.
According to GSI, the Krishna delta front is “constantly growing at a
rapid pace on both sides of all the three distributaries, particularly
the western most, through sand deposits (spits and bars). Over the
past half century, the Krishna delta has gained about 28 sq km of
area”. Since the growth is more in the western most distributary that
borders Repalle, the Krishna delta front is adding new area from the
Guntur district side.
The growth of the Krishna delta further into the sea (progradation)has been noticed at Kaikaluru- Bapatla strandline, Gudur strandline, Machilipatnam strandline and the Koduru strandline. The delta front is sandy or marshy in nature with a vast stretches of wild grasses or protected mangrove forests. The mangrove forests have gained some of this newly added area.
The Krishna delta is “lobate” (lobe like) and unique in having the
greatest protuberance of 37 km from the adjoining coast, points out
“GSI Memoirs”, containing the summerised data of the research work
done by GSI scientists at its Hyderabad centre. As new land is added
to the delta front, the protuberance into the sea increases. The
deltaic shore is about 90 km long.
A delta is highly sensitive to any change, natural or manmade. Changes
in the Krishna delta started after the construction of dams in the
upstream. This has reduced the sediment carrying capacity of the
river. With the outflow into the sea coming down drastically in the
last few decades, the sea is depositing sands, increasing the area of
the delta front.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Coastal Andhra Pradesh undergoing major geomorphological changes: New beaches appearing, some disappearing: Upputeru shifting its course unidirectionally
Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: The coastal region in Andhra Pradesh is fast
changing with the area under beaches either increasing or decreasing,
and rivulets shifting their course. The sea is eating into lush green
lands at certain places.
The geomorphology data for the last four decades available with the
city unit of the Geological Survey of India indicate that the mouth of
the Upputeru rivulet has unidirectionally shifted very rapidly
westwards by about 3 km in the last 30 years, eroding more than 100
hectares of high-yielding coconut gardens near Chinnagollapalem. There
has been a growth of about 3 km long beach near the Upputeru river
mouth and formation of bars and shoals in the vicinity.
The coastal tract between the two distributaries channel mouths of the Gautami Godavari at Malatithippa is subjected to both erosion and accretion, though the latter is dominant. The prominent bar, which existed in 1971, and the northeastern side of the Gautami-Godavari mouth disappeared. Spits are developing on left mouth of the
Vainateyam and the Vasishta.
The GSI has summerised the research works (GSI Memoirs) since the
opening of the Hyderabad centre in 1973. An analysis of the data
reveals that the delicate geomorphology of the coastal region is
undergoing visible changes at a rapid phase. According to the GSI
data, beach growth up to 1 km wide has been noticed along the 10 km
stretch from river mouth of Gautami towards west, while the shoreline
near Machilipatnam is subjected to erosion. The tidal creek mouth is
constantly shifting northwards with respect to the Machilipatnam Port.
“Accretion in the form of bar and shoal is seen at the confluence of
Vainateyam, Vasishta, Krishna River northeast distributary and also
the outfalls of Enamadurru drain- straight cut, Kunavaram straight
cut, Peddalanka drain etc. Due to the formation of the Kakinada spit,
a vast area of shallow sea is being separated from the main sea,” the
GSI Memoirs points out.
The GSI has noticed sea erosion north of Uppada village, where 100 m
wide beach was eroded in 14 years. Besides, presence of a wave-cut
platform at 2.5 km southwest of Uppada, and erosion of beach at
Mulapeta are the important evidences of sea erosion.
Hyderabad: The coastal region in Andhra Pradesh is fast
changing with the area under beaches either increasing or decreasing,
and rivulets shifting their course. The sea is eating into lush green
lands at certain places.
The geomorphology data for the last four decades available with the
city unit of the Geological Survey of India indicate that the mouth of
the Upputeru rivulet has unidirectionally shifted very rapidly
westwards by about 3 km in the last 30 years, eroding more than 100
hectares of high-yielding coconut gardens near Chinnagollapalem. There
has been a growth of about 3 km long beach near the Upputeru river
mouth and formation of bars and shoals in the vicinity.
The coastal tract between the two distributaries channel mouths of the Gautami Godavari at Malatithippa is subjected to both erosion and accretion, though the latter is dominant. The prominent bar, which existed in 1971, and the northeastern side of the Gautami-Godavari mouth disappeared. Spits are developing on left mouth of the
Vainateyam and the Vasishta.
The GSI has summerised the research works (GSI Memoirs) since the
opening of the Hyderabad centre in 1973. An analysis of the data
reveals that the delicate geomorphology of the coastal region is
undergoing visible changes at a rapid phase. According to the GSI
data, beach growth up to 1 km wide has been noticed along the 10 km
stretch from river mouth of Gautami towards west, while the shoreline
near Machilipatnam is subjected to erosion. The tidal creek mouth is
constantly shifting northwards with respect to the Machilipatnam Port.
The GSI city team has found erosion of bars on one side and accretion on the other side of the estuary of the Penna River. A spit is emerging on the Swarnamukhi River mouth. There is beach accretion further south near Kondurupalem.
“Accretion in the form of bar and shoal is seen at the confluence of
Vainateyam, Vasishta, Krishna River northeast distributary and also
the outfalls of Enamadurru drain- straight cut, Kunavaram straight
cut, Peddalanka drain etc. Due to the formation of the Kakinada spit,
a vast area of shallow sea is being separated from the main sea,” the
GSI Memoirs points out.
The GSI has noticed sea erosion north of Uppada village, where 100 m
wide beach was eroded in 14 years. Besides, presence of a wave-cut
platform at 2.5 km southwest of Uppada, and erosion of beach at
Mulapeta are the important evidences of sea erosion.
Diamond zone is much wider than believed: River Krishna downstream of Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada may contain diamonds: Area extends up to the offshore of the Krishna river
Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: After oil and natural gas, the offshore of Krishna
River now holds prospects for diamond mining. The diamond search in
the State has extended to areas beyond Vijayawada and up to the
estuary of the river Krishna with the Geological Survey of India
finding evidence for the presence of precious stones in this hitherto
unexploited region.
So far, the area between Sangam (confluence of Tungabhadra and Krishna
in Mahbubnagar district) and Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada is
recognized as the diamond zone. Recent studies by the GIS have
revealed that the diamond zone well extends beyond Vijayawada and up
to near shore in Avanigadda and Nagayalanka in Krishna district and
Repalle in Guntur district. Penna River, downstream of Somasila, is
another new area with prospects of diamond reserves. The region may go
well into the sea, offshore of Krishna and Penna.
The mapping of the geological terrain of coastal areas dating back to
the last glacial maximum (18,000 years ago) and beyond shows that the
palaeo-channels and channel bars comprising diamond bearing gravels
extend into the lower part of the Krishna delta and even into the near
shore area.
According to GSI, about 18,000 years ago Krishna as well as the Penna
rivers had extended courses joining the sea at lower levels. “The
palaeo-channels of Krishna and Penna in their delta and offshore areas
may also form important diamond prospects, in select zones,” GSI’s new
“Quaternary Maps” point out. Quaternary is the current period in the
Cenozoic era on the geological timescale. These diamonds were formed
during this period. Diamond-bearing gravels are also found in Chennuru
and Kanuparthy, located along the upper reaches of the Penna.
GIS believes that Quaternary studies of the river basins of Penna,
Hagari and Handri might help in delineating their palaeo-drainage
channels and in locating new diamond bearing terrace/gravel zones. The
existence of a few old pits and dumps near these gravel beds indicates
that terrace gravels were excavated to recover diamonds in the past.
Diamond constitutes the most important economic mineral of the Quaternary
fluvial gravels of AP. The alluvial tracts around Kolluru, Ustapalle,
Paritala, Chandralapadu and Venkatayapalem areas in Guntur and Krishna
districts along the banks of the Krishna River, have yielded many
world famous diamonds.
Besides diamonds, precious stones like transparent to translucent ruby
corundum have been found around Salebhanjar village in Khammam
district. Corundum is also found in an area of about 50 sq km up to
Lalguda in the south, Tummalapalle in the west and Lallurgudem in
Kadapa district.
Gem variety garnets are noticed in the Muneru river around Tekugudem.
Semi-precious stones including chalcedony, agate, carnelian, jasper
and opal have been found in abundance in the older gravel bed as well
as recent channel/ point bars of the Godavari river around Bhadrachalam.
Hyderabad: After oil and natural gas, the offshore of Krishna
River now holds prospects for diamond mining. The diamond search in
the State has extended to areas beyond Vijayawada and up to the
estuary of the river Krishna with the Geological Survey of India
finding evidence for the presence of precious stones in this hitherto
unexploited region.
So far, the area between Sangam (confluence of Tungabhadra and Krishna
in Mahbubnagar district) and Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada is
recognized as the diamond zone. Recent studies by the GIS have
revealed that the diamond zone well extends beyond Vijayawada and up
to near shore in Avanigadda and Nagayalanka in Krishna district and
Repalle in Guntur district. Penna River, downstream of Somasila, is
another new area with prospects of diamond reserves. The region may go
well into the sea, offshore of Krishna and Penna.
The mapping of the geological terrain of coastal areas dating back to
the last glacial maximum (18,000 years ago) and beyond shows that the
palaeo-channels and channel bars comprising diamond bearing gravels
extend into the lower part of the Krishna delta and even into the near
shore area.
According to GSI, about 18,000 years ago Krishna as well as the Penna
rivers had extended courses joining the sea at lower levels. “The
palaeo-channels of Krishna and Penna in their delta and offshore areas
may also form important diamond prospects, in select zones,” GSI’s new
“Quaternary Maps” point out. Quaternary is the current period in the
Cenozoic era on the geological timescale. These diamonds were formed
during this period. Diamond-bearing gravels are also found in Chennuru
and Kanuparthy, located along the upper reaches of the Penna.
GIS believes that Quaternary studies of the river basins of Penna,
Hagari and Handri might help in delineating their palaeo-drainage
channels and in locating new diamond bearing terrace/gravel zones. The
existence of a few old pits and dumps near these gravel beds indicates
that terrace gravels were excavated to recover diamonds in the past.
Diamond constitutes the most important economic mineral of the Quaternary
fluvial gravels of AP. The alluvial tracts around Kolluru, Ustapalle,
Paritala, Chandralapadu and Venkatayapalem areas in Guntur and Krishna
districts along the banks of the Krishna River, have yielded many
world famous diamonds.
Besides diamonds, precious stones like transparent to translucent ruby
corundum have been found around Salebhanjar village in Khammam
district. Corundum is also found in an area of about 50 sq km up to
Lalguda in the south, Tummalapalle in the west and Lallurgudem in
Kadapa district.
Gem variety garnets are noticed in the Muneru river around Tekugudem.
Semi-precious stones including chalcedony, agate, carnelian, jasper
and opal have been found in abundance in the older gravel bed as well
as recent channel/ point bars of the Godavari river around Bhadrachalam.
Friday, 28 October 2011
NGRI develops methodology to pinpoint the ground water potential in rocky areas
Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Scientists at the city-based National Geophysical
Research Institute have developed a methodology to pinpoint the ground
water potential in rocky areas. A large portion of area in and around
Hyderabad is a hard rock terrain and ground water is trapped in
fractures of the bed rock.
The NGRI team utilised geospatial and geophysical techniques to
develop the model for assessing ground water potential. The
methodology has been successfully demonstrated in Maheshwaram
watershed in the city outskirts. Whether ground water is available in
a given rocky terrain and if so to what extent can be found out using
the NGRI system.
It will help people easily identify suitable locations for ground
water withdrawal. The demand for ground water in Hyderabad and
neighbouring Rangareddy district has increased in the recent past
thanks to scanty rainfall, rainwater runoff, and largescale
urbanisation and industrialisation of the region.
NGRI team comprising Dr Shakeel Ahmed, Ms Mehnaz Rashid and Mr Mahjoor
Ahmed Lone developed the methodology by integrating a number of
important indications of ground water like soil structure, rain water
drainage density, aquifer resistivity and thickness, and the pattern
of land use in the area.
"The results reveal that the area falls in four ground water potential
zones ranging from poor to very good. The poor zone is indicative of
the least favourable region for ground water prospecting, while the
good to very good zone indicates the most favourable region," the
scientists noted.
It is a foolproof system that can be adapted in any part of the globe.
In fact, the NGRI's work serves as a guideline for further research on
complex terrains all over the world. According to the scientists, the
methodology based on the GIS can be utilised for sustainable
management of ground water resources in any area for artificial
recharge.
The team utilised the data from the Indian remote sensing satellite,
Resourcesat-1, and other remote sensing and geophysical information.
It is also an effective tool for identifying ground water potential in
diverse hydrogeological terrains.
The ground water resources in the country are depleting fast and in
certain regions it is as high as four cm per year. In Hyderabad and
surrounding areas the thickness of the top layer of the soil is
between 0.1 and 4.1 metres. Below is the weathered granite with
thickness going up to 35.7 metres. The third layer is highly fractured
granite ranging between 0.3 metres and 31 metres. Ground water is
trapped in these fractures.
Hyderabad: Scientists at the city-based National Geophysical
Research Institute have developed a methodology to pinpoint the ground
water potential in rocky areas. A large portion of area in and around
Hyderabad is a hard rock terrain and ground water is trapped in
fractures of the bed rock.
The NGRI team utilised geospatial and geophysical techniques to
develop the model for assessing ground water potential. The
methodology has been successfully demonstrated in Maheshwaram
watershed in the city outskirts. Whether ground water is available in
a given rocky terrain and if so to what extent can be found out using
the NGRI system.
It will help people easily identify suitable locations for ground
water withdrawal. The demand for ground water in Hyderabad and
neighbouring Rangareddy district has increased in the recent past
thanks to scanty rainfall, rainwater runoff, and largescale
urbanisation and industrialisation of the region.
NGRI team comprising Dr Shakeel Ahmed, Ms Mehnaz Rashid and Mr Mahjoor
Ahmed Lone developed the methodology by integrating a number of
important indications of ground water like soil structure, rain water
drainage density, aquifer resistivity and thickness, and the pattern
of land use in the area.
"The results reveal that the area falls in four ground water potential
zones ranging from poor to very good. The poor zone is indicative of
the least favourable region for ground water prospecting, while the
good to very good zone indicates the most favourable region," the
scientists noted.
It is a foolproof system that can be adapted in any part of the globe.
In fact, the NGRI's work serves as a guideline for further research on
complex terrains all over the world. According to the scientists, the
methodology based on the GIS can be utilised for sustainable
management of ground water resources in any area for artificial
recharge.
The team utilised the data from the Indian remote sensing satellite,
Resourcesat-1, and other remote sensing and geophysical information.
It is also an effective tool for identifying ground water potential in
diverse hydrogeological terrains.
The ground water resources in the country are depleting fast and in
certain regions it is as high as four cm per year. In Hyderabad and
surrounding areas the thickness of the top layer of the soil is
between 0.1 and 4.1 metres. Below is the weathered granite with
thickness going up to 35.7 metres. The third layer is highly fractured
granite ranging between 0.3 metres and 31 metres. Ground water is
trapped in these fractures.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Ground water is just 150 ft deep in Hyderabad; further down is hard rock which does not yield any ground water
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: How deep one should dig a bore well in Hyderabad and Secunderabad to extract
ground water? As builders and house owners vie with one another to go deeper into the
soil for “perennial source” of ground water, geologists clarify that the water table in
twin cities is just 150 ft deep. They warn that any drilling into the earth beyond this
point will only harm the ground water table and affect its prospects as time passes by.
It’s waste of money and labour.
The geology of Hyderabad and its surrounding areas is peculiar in the sense that the
depth up to which it can withhold water is about 150 ft or a little more in certain
pockets. Beyond 150 ft one encounters the bedrock, which does not hold any ground water,
unless it has some fractures. Going deeper and deeper may give temporary benefits, but in
the long run spoils the water table.
According to Dr VVS Gurunatha Rao, deputy director, National Geophysical Research
Institute, hard rock is encountered in twin cities up to depths up about 150 ft. This is
the lower limit for drawl of ground water. “Our studies have shown that hard rock is
encountered in many places in and around Hyderabad at 30 meters deep or a little below.
The upper loose soil and the area below it are the potential sources of tapping ground
water. Below it the ground water potential is relatively less. And lower further down is
the bedrock, which is hard and impermeable. The rain water that percolates the ground
will not seep further down the hard rock,” he clarifies.
Explaining the reason for drying up of many bore wells in Hyderabad despite the increase
in ground water table in the last three years, Dr Gurunatha Rao blames the culture of
constructing cellars and double cellars. “The first few metres of top soil have the
greatest potential of withholding water. But by constructing cellars and double cellars
we are robbing of a large portion of this potential ground water zone,” he adds. A cellar
occupies about six metres of this important water holding area. Double cellar means
occupation of 12 to 15 metres of the top soil.
The NGRI scientist suggests that one should avoid constructing cellars to ensure more
recharge of ground water. He also points out that going deeper into the earth will not
yield ground water perennially at least in twin cities.
According to the city-based International Water Management Institute and Jawahar Lal
Nehru Technological University, the Musi sub-basin is mainly
covered by Archaean granites with Deccan Traps. As in a typical hard rock
aquifer region, the yield of the bores decreases with depth due to the reduction of the
fracture density. The risk of water scarcity in case of
a drought year is thus exacerbated.
A joint study by teams from IWMI and JNTU has revealed that the ground water resource in
Hyderabad and its surrounding areas is mostly represented by typical unconfined shallow
aquifers in hard rock which generally occupy the upper 20 metres of the subsurface
profile. “These composite aquifers derive primarily from the geomorphologic processes of
deep weathering and
erosion. They can therefore be considered as a multi-layered system,” the study points
out.
The upper layer is unconsolidated weathered mantle (saprolite or regolith), which is from
negligible to several tens of metres thickness. When saturated, this layer constitutes
the reservoir of the aquifer (water source). Instead of tapping this zone, builders are
going deeper to the second layer, which is fractured-weathered layer, characterised by a
fracture density that decreases with depth. This in other words means as one goes deeper
the potentiality of ground water decreases. The lower layer is fresh basement, which is
permeable only locally where deep tectonic fractures are present.
The study found that in the last two decades, natural recharge from rainfall in Musi
sub-basin accounted for 9.4 per cent of the total annual rainfall. But the exploitation
was much higher leaving a wide deficit. In certain places, however, there are deeper
aquifer systems thanks to major joints, fractures or crevices. At these places ground
water can be harnessed up to 700 feet. But only a fortunate few will get such deeper
aquifer systems. But as Dr Gurunatha Rao argues the average depth of bore wells in twin
cities should not cross 150 ft, and to ensure perennial source of ground water,
scientifically-test rain water harvesting methods should be adopted.
====================
AP virtually sits on well explosion
====================
Andhra Pradesh virtually sits on a well explosion. In the last three decades
the number of wells in the State has gone up by four times, up from 8 lakhs to 24 lakhs.
And hold your breath. The well population in Andhra Pradesh is increasing at the rate of
50,000 a year. But what’s worrying is that scientific steps are not taken to ensure that
the quantity of water drawn from ground water is properly replenished by rain water.
According to official figures, area irrigated through groundwater increased from 10 lakh
hectares to 28 lakhs hectares since 1990. Ground water constitutes about 45 per cent of
the total area irrigated. Interestingly, almost 80 per cent of the drinking water needs
are met through ground water and just 20 per cent from rivers and lakes.
With increasing concretization, recharge of ground water during monsoon has been hit in
the last 10 years. Adding to the problem, the number of rainy days has come down.
Geologists point out that the more the number of rainy days the more the recharge of
ground water. Heavy rains only lead to run off. For ground water to be recharged fully,
rain should be moderate and spread over a number of days.
Predicting the “future scenario”, the State ground water department forecasts that by
2020 the number of wells will be touch 36 lakhs, mostly deep bore/tube wells, irrigating
about 36 lakh hectares.
While bore wells may meet the water needs of people in Telangana and Rayalaseema, they
will harm the delicate ecological balance in the coastal regions. “If ground water is
over exploited in coastal regions, there’s the threat of sea water intrusion into the
ground water. This will make the soil salty and unfit for agriculture,” warns Dr VVS
Gurunatha Rao, deputy director of NGRI.
In case of Hyderabad and Rangareddy district, of the 40 ground water micro basins
present, only 10 can be declared as safe. The remaining fall under over-exploited and
critical categories, meaning there’s danger to the water table if immediate steps to
recharge it are not taken. There’s the problem of ground water pollution too thanks to
the use of fertilizers and pesticides and unscientific disposal of waste by chemical
units.
Hyderabad: How deep one should dig a bore well in Hyderabad and Secunderabad to extract
ground water? As builders and house owners vie with one another to go deeper into the
soil for “perennial source” of ground water, geologists clarify that the water table in
twin cities is just 150 ft deep. They warn that any drilling into the earth beyond this
point will only harm the ground water table and affect its prospects as time passes by.
It’s waste of money and labour.
The geology of Hyderabad and its surrounding areas is peculiar in the sense that the
depth up to which it can withhold water is about 150 ft or a little more in certain
pockets. Beyond 150 ft one encounters the bedrock, which does not hold any ground water,
unless it has some fractures. Going deeper and deeper may give temporary benefits, but in
the long run spoils the water table.
According to Dr VVS Gurunatha Rao, deputy director, National Geophysical Research
Institute, hard rock is encountered in twin cities up to depths up about 150 ft. This is
the lower limit for drawl of ground water. “Our studies have shown that hard rock is
encountered in many places in and around Hyderabad at 30 meters deep or a little below.
The upper loose soil and the area below it are the potential sources of tapping ground
water. Below it the ground water potential is relatively less. And lower further down is
the bedrock, which is hard and impermeable. The rain water that percolates the ground
will not seep further down the hard rock,” he clarifies.
Explaining the reason for drying up of many bore wells in Hyderabad despite the increase
in ground water table in the last three years, Dr Gurunatha Rao blames the culture of
constructing cellars and double cellars. “The first few metres of top soil have the
greatest potential of withholding water. But by constructing cellars and double cellars
we are robbing of a large portion of this potential ground water zone,” he adds. A cellar
occupies about six metres of this important water holding area. Double cellar means
occupation of 12 to 15 metres of the top soil.
The NGRI scientist suggests that one should avoid constructing cellars to ensure more
recharge of ground water. He also points out that going deeper into the earth will not
yield ground water perennially at least in twin cities.
According to the city-based International Water Management Institute and Jawahar Lal
Nehru Technological University, the Musi sub-basin is mainly
covered by Archaean granites with Deccan Traps. As in a typical hard rock
aquifer region, the yield of the bores decreases with depth due to the reduction of the
fracture density. The risk of water scarcity in case of
a drought year is thus exacerbated.
A joint study by teams from IWMI and JNTU has revealed that the ground water resource in
Hyderabad and its surrounding areas is mostly represented by typical unconfined shallow
aquifers in hard rock which generally occupy the upper 20 metres of the subsurface
profile. “These composite aquifers derive primarily from the geomorphologic processes of
deep weathering and
erosion. They can therefore be considered as a multi-layered system,” the study points
out.
The upper layer is unconsolidated weathered mantle (saprolite or regolith), which is from
negligible to several tens of metres thickness. When saturated, this layer constitutes
the reservoir of the aquifer (water source). Instead of tapping this zone, builders are
going deeper to the second layer, which is fractured-weathered layer, characterised by a
fracture density that decreases with depth. This in other words means as one goes deeper
the potentiality of ground water decreases. The lower layer is fresh basement, which is
permeable only locally where deep tectonic fractures are present.
The study found that in the last two decades, natural recharge from rainfall in Musi
sub-basin accounted for 9.4 per cent of the total annual rainfall. But the exploitation
was much higher leaving a wide deficit. In certain places, however, there are deeper
aquifer systems thanks to major joints, fractures or crevices. At these places ground
water can be harnessed up to 700 feet. But only a fortunate few will get such deeper
aquifer systems. But as Dr Gurunatha Rao argues the average depth of bore wells in twin
cities should not cross 150 ft, and to ensure perennial source of ground water,
scientifically-test rain water harvesting methods should be adopted.
====================
AP virtually sits on well explosion
====================
Andhra Pradesh virtually sits on a well explosion. In the last three decades
the number of wells in the State has gone up by four times, up from 8 lakhs to 24 lakhs.
And hold your breath. The well population in Andhra Pradesh is increasing at the rate of
50,000 a year. But what’s worrying is that scientific steps are not taken to ensure that
the quantity of water drawn from ground water is properly replenished by rain water.
According to official figures, area irrigated through groundwater increased from 10 lakh
hectares to 28 lakhs hectares since 1990. Ground water constitutes about 45 per cent of
the total area irrigated. Interestingly, almost 80 per cent of the drinking water needs
are met through ground water and just 20 per cent from rivers and lakes.
With increasing concretization, recharge of ground water during monsoon has been hit in
the last 10 years. Adding to the problem, the number of rainy days has come down.
Geologists point out that the more the number of rainy days the more the recharge of
ground water. Heavy rains only lead to run off. For ground water to be recharged fully,
rain should be moderate and spread over a number of days.
Predicting the “future scenario”, the State ground water department forecasts that by
2020 the number of wells will be touch 36 lakhs, mostly deep bore/tube wells, irrigating
about 36 lakh hectares.
While bore wells may meet the water needs of people in Telangana and Rayalaseema, they
will harm the delicate ecological balance in the coastal regions. “If ground water is
over exploited in coastal regions, there’s the threat of sea water intrusion into the
ground water. This will make the soil salty and unfit for agriculture,” warns Dr VVS
Gurunatha Rao, deputy director of NGRI.
In case of Hyderabad and Rangareddy district, of the 40 ground water micro basins
present, only 10 can be declared as safe. The remaining fall under over-exploited and
critical categories, meaning there’s danger to the water table if immediate steps to
recharge it are not taken. There’s the problem of ground water pollution too thanks to
the use of fertilizers and pesticides and unscientific disposal of waste by chemical
units.
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Himalayas are twice older than believed!
By Syed Akbar
How old are the Himalayas, the snow-covered mountains that wall the northern India? Existing scientific records and evidence show that the Himalayas are less than eight million years old. But a group of scientists from India and the United Kingdom has negated this widely held belief and established with latest scientific evidence that the mountains are twice as older. In short, the Himalayas took their birth about 15 million years ago.
The Indo-British team has found evidence for early uplift of Himalayas within the central Indian Ocean. "The discovery that the Earth's strong outer shell - the 'lithosphere' - within the central Indian Ocean began to deform and fracture 15.4-13.9 million years ago, much earlier than previously thought, impacts our understanding of the birth of the Himalayas and the strengthening of the Indian-Asian monsoon," says Dr KS Krishna of the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography.
According to an official release from the National Institute of Oceanography,
India and Asia collided around 50 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics - the large-scale movements of the lithosphere, which continue to this day. The study was published in "Geology", a scientific magazine published by the Geological Society of America.
India and Asia collided around 50 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics - the large-scale movements of the lithosphere, which continue to this day. The study was published in "Geology", a scientific magazine published by the Geological Society of America.
"The ocean floor has been systematically transformed into folds 100-300 kilometres long and 2,000-3,000 metres high, and there are also regularly spaced faults or cracks that are evident from seismic surveys and ocean drilling," points out Dr Krishna in the research study.
The onset of this deformation marks the start of major geological uplift of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, some 4,000 km further to the north, due to stresses within the wider India-Asia area. Some studies indicate that it began around 8.0-7.5 million years ago, while others have indicated that it started before 8.0 million years ago, and perhaps much earlier.
This controversy has now been addressed by Dr Krishna and his British colleagues Prof. Jon Bull of the University of Southampton, and Prof. Roger Scrutton of Edinburgh University. They have analysed seismic profiles of 293 faults (vertical cracks in the ocean floor) in the accumulated sediments of the Bengal Fan. This is the world's largest submarine fan, a delta-shaped accumulation of land-derived sediments covering the floor of the Bay of Bengal.
The NIO statement points out that the team demonstrated that deformation of the lithosphere within the central Indian Ocean started around 15.4-13.9 million years ago, much earlier than most previous estimates. This implies considerable Himalayan uplift before 8.0 million years ago, which is when many geologists believe that the strong seasonal winds of the India-Asia monsoon first started.
"However," says Dr. Krishna, "the realisation that the onset of lithospheric deformation within the central Indian Ocean occurred much earlier fits in well with more recent evidence that the strengthening of the monsoon was linked to the early geological uplift of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau up to 15-20 million years ago."
Scientists believe that intensive deep-sea drilling within the Bengal Fan would provide better age estimates for the onset of deformation of the lithosphere in the central Indian Ocean and concretise the recent findings. There are more weighty geological questions related to the geodynamics of the Indian Plate yet to be understood.
The onset of this deformation marks the start of major geological uplift of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, some 4,000 km further to the north, due to stresses within the wider India-Asia area. Some studies indicate that it began around 8.0-7.5 million years ago, while others have indicated that it started before 8.0 million years ago, and perhaps much earlier.
This controversy has now been addressed by Dr Krishna and his British colleagues Prof. Jon Bull of the University of Southampton, and Prof. Roger Scrutton of Edinburgh University. They have analysed seismic profiles of 293 faults (vertical cracks in the ocean floor) in the accumulated sediments of the Bengal Fan. This is the world's largest submarine fan, a delta-shaped accumulation of land-derived sediments covering the floor of the Bay of Bengal.
The NIO statement points out that the team demonstrated that deformation of the lithosphere within the central Indian Ocean started around 15.4-13.9 million years ago, much earlier than most previous estimates. This implies considerable Himalayan uplift before 8.0 million years ago, which is when many geologists believe that the strong seasonal winds of the India-Asia monsoon first started.
"However," says Dr. Krishna, "the realisation that the onset of lithospheric deformation within the central Indian Ocean occurred much earlier fits in well with more recent evidence that the strengthening of the monsoon was linked to the early geological uplift of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau up to 15-20 million years ago."
Scientists believe that intensive deep-sea drilling within the Bengal Fan would provide better age estimates for the onset of deformation of the lithosphere in the central Indian Ocean and concretise the recent findings. There are more weighty geological questions related to the geodynamics of the Indian Plate yet to be understood.
Principal among these being the issue of how exactly did the ocean floor buckle and crack in space and time, and what will be the future course of this compressional activity in the central Indian Ocean.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Mother's Care
Minnu The Cat & Her Kittens Brownie, Goldie & Blackie
Someone with Nature
Syed Akbar in an island in river Godavari with Papikonda hills in the background
Recognition by World Vegetable Centre
Under the shade of Baobab tree
At Agha Khan Akademi in Kenya
Gateway to the Southern Hemisphere
Convention on Biodiversity
Syed Akbar at the 11th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity