Nearly three centuries after some of the worlds most famousdiamondsincluding the Kohinoor were discovered in the Krishna river basin, the AP government is now set to launch a massive search forgemstones.
To begin with, the has focused onUpparapalle, a nondescript village in Kadapa district. The move comes after a preliminary survey by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) hinted at the presence of diamonds in Upparapalle.
One of the blocks in Upparapalle spread over 37.5 sq km would be taken up for a detailed study to zero-in on the area where the diamonds are present. The state government has decided to grant a composite licence through competitive bidding to explore the area.
The survey spans three phases G-4, G-3 and G-2. The GSI has already conducted G-4 or preliminary studies. G-1 studies involve detailed exploration. The company that would win the bid would take up G-3 and G-2 studies that involve preliminary and general exploration respectively.