India Hits One of the Richest Gold Jackpots Ever, But Can’t Mine It - Check Where & Why

Karnataka has just uncovered one of India’s richest untapped mineral belts – gold grading 12–14 grams per tonne in Koppal district (4–7× higher than commercially viable levels) and traces of battery-critical lithium in Raichur’s Amareshwara block – yet the deposits remain completely off-limits because they lie deep inside protected reserve forests, said a report by News18.com.The discoveries, confirmed by the state’s Department of Mines and Geology in November 2025, are part of a massive 6-lakh-hectare reconnaissance survey across 65 blocks. Early assays from Amrapur block (Koppal) show gold values as high as 14 g/t in surface samples – far above the 2–3 g/t threshold that makes mines profitable.In Raichur, lithium-bearing pegmatites have been

mapped for the first time in the state, adding Karnataka to the short national list that includes Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh.But there is a catch: no drilling deeper than a few metres is allowed without Stage-I forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and that permission has not been granted.The Numbers That Have Everyone TalkingMineral – Location – Grade/Indication – Commercial Benchmark

• Gold – Amrapur block, Koppal – 12–14 g/t (surface & shallow samples) – 2–3 g/t
• Lithium – Amareshwara, Raichur – lithium-bearing pegmatites identified – yet to be quantified
• Other finds – 65 blocks statewide – copper, cobalt, REE, bauxite, chromium – reconnaissance stage only

If the gold grades hold at depth, say 8–10 g/t after deeper drilling, a single 100,000-tonne-per-year mine could produce 25–30 kg of gold daily – worth Rs 18–22 crore at today’s Rs 1,30,000/10g rate.Why the Deposits Are FrozenThe sites fall under Reserve Forest and Eco-Sensitive Zones.Stage-I forest clearance requires state government recommendation + MoEFCC approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.Local forest officials have flagged wildlife corridors, groundwater recharge zones, and tribal settlements.Environmental NGOs and community groups have already filed objections, citing irreversible damage to the Western Ghats-adjacent ecology.Without clearance, the department cannot:

• Sink boreholes beyond 10–20 metres
• Conduct bulk sampling
• Estimate actual reserve size or economic feasibility

Ground Reality: Pressure, Illegal Mining, and Stalled ProgressField teams report mounting tension:

• Political and industry lobbies pushing for “fast-track” approvals
• Reports of illegal prospecting attempts in the fenced areas
• Survey officers receiving threats and pressure to “show bigger numbers”

The state has now deployed armed forest guards and CCTV at key sites to prevent encroachment.The Bigger Picture: India’s Critical Minerals Push vs Green CommitmentsThe discoveries come at a time when New Delhi is aggressively chasing self-reliance in critical minerals:

• Lithium demand projected to hit 125,000 tonnes by 2030 for EV batteries
• Gold production stagnant at ~1.5 tonnes/year nationally
• 99% imported

Yet the Centre’s own National Critical Minerals Mission mandates that mining in forest areas must follow strict compensatory afforestation and Net Present Value payments – a process that routinely takes 2–4 years even for “linear projects”.What Happens Next?

• Karnataka government has formed an inter-departmental committee to prepare the forest diversion proposal.
• If Stage-I clearance is granted (unlikely before mid-2026), G3-level exploration (deep drilling) can begin.
• Commercial mining, if viable, is realistically 5–8 years away.

Until then, the gold stays in the ground, the lithium stays unmapped, and Karnataka’s “mineral jackpot” remains exactly that – a jackpot nobody can cash.For a state that contributed just 0.3% to India’s gold output and zero lithium so far, the discoveries are tantalising.For its forests and tribal communities, they are non-negotiable.The ball is now in the Ministry of Environment’s court – and whichever way it goes, someone loses.