TSMDC plans to open 6 granite mines

Hyderabad: As a part of its efforts to spread its wings beyond sand quarrying, the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation (TSMDC) is gearing up to set up six granite mines in Telangana. "We applied for six granite mines, got permissions for two. The process of obtaining permissions is at various stages for four other mines," Dr G Malsur, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, TSMDC, told The Hans India.

The corporation has submitted plans to take up granite mining in government lands at Kothagattu village in Shankarapatnam mandal of Karimanagar district and Vanthadupula village in Narasimhulapeta mandal in Mahabubabad district. It will set up two mines for maple red variety of granite at Kothagattu village while Kakatiya white variety will be produced at the mine at Vanthadupula village. Besides, two of the corporation's granite mines will come up in forest lands.

One will be set up at Tallapusapalle village in Kesamudram mandal of Mahabubabad district, where black granite will be produced. The second quarry in forest land will be established at Namilikonda village in Kodimial mandal in Jagityal district. Tan brown variant will be quarried at this mine.

"We have received permissions for one mine each in Mahabubabad and Karimanagar districts. Once we get environment clearance for these two, we will go ahead and start operations," Dr Malsur explained. Apart from granite mining, the corporation is also focusing on mineral exploration in a big way. "We are fast emerging as a mineral exploration unit. The corporation has undertaken mineral exploration with NMET (National Mineral Exploration Trust) funds. The projects are at various stages of exploration," he said. The corporation completed G-4 (reconnaissance stage) exploration in 10 limestone clusters including eight in Telangana, one each in Jharkhand and Odisha at a total cost of Rs 30.89 crore.

It will take up exploration of manganese reserves in Adilabad district and molybdenum in Karimnagar and Siddipet districts. At present, the corporation gets over 98 per cent of its total revenues from the sand. Of Rs 805 crore total revenues of the corporation in FY20, non-sand operations contributed just Rs 13 crore. "Before bifurcation in 2014, the corporation operated most of mines in the Andhra region. So, TSMDC doesn't have many mines under its fold now," the TSMDC chief said.