Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 27: The Central Govt Pensioners’ Welfare Association, Jammu today honoured two of its Life Members, K K Sharma & S C Uppal, former Geologists of GSI, for their pioneering exploratory survey of area in Reasi that led to discovery of Lithium ores in abundance in the belt.
The Patron of the CGPWA, S S Wazir along with two former Chief Secretaries, B R Kundal & B R Sharma and former Secretary to Govt of India, Ashok Angurana, presented mementos to K K Sharma & S C Uppal in recognition of their pioneering exploratory work in mid-nineties. Both Sharma & Uppal had surveyed the area as a GSI team for final report in December 1999.
General Secretary, CGPWA, K B Jandial, said that the services of the former Geologists of GSI need to be recognized by the Govt and the Society for their painstaking exploratory work. Their work has finally led to discovery of crucial reserves in abundance that can be the game changer in the economic development of Jammu and the country.
Sharma & Uppal team had conducted geochemical survey of 350 sq km area for base metal and lithium in Sirban group of rocks in Katra-Muttal-Pres-Salal-Pouni-Chakar and collected 804 samples. The survey arrived at a conclusion that “the higher values of Lithium are persistent throughout the belt in the Bauxite column”.
In the 69-page report submitted by them in December 1999, they concluded that “the Bauxite column in Salal-Panasa-Sangarmarg (Saro da Bas) and Chakar areas appears to be a promising horizon for Lithium and may be taken up for further detailed work”. The detailed work was undertaken, as recommended by the Sharma-Uppal team, only in 2020-22. More such promising rocks are expected in the belt.
Both of them spoke of their experience during survey and said that what has come to light is one of the six such patches of Lithium deposits. Sharma said that the investigation of the rare strategic mineral was conceptualised and framed by the then Director GSI late M R Kalsotra, also a Life Member of the Association, in 1995.
Speaking on the occasion, J K Vaid, former Director, GSI and former General Secretary of the Association, strongly discounted misleading media reports of negative fallout on environment due to ‘mining; of Lithium ore in the area and said that Li exploration in similar Geological set up is taking place all over the country and around the globe. He clarified that the deposits are occurring as blanket deposits on the surface and mining would involve just scrapping of the upper infertile crust of the ore with hardly any environmental concern.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
