Thorium deposits found in Bayyaram

 The incidental discovery of Thorium deposits by the Geological Survey on India in Bayyaram of Khammam district has got the government excited. They have now approached the Atomic Mineral Directorate to confirm the findings and the estimate the amount of deposits in the area. Thorium is used in place of Uranium in Nuclear Power plants. The discovery of Thorium deposits in Telangana is of great importance due to its scarce availability and value.

The government had commissioned the Geological Survey of India to survey the Bayyaram area of Khammam district to estimate the iron ore deposits that were already known to be available there in large amounts. The States Reorganization Act had stipulated that a steel industry would be set up in the new state. To this end the government had approached the GSI to survey the iron ore rich area of Bayyaram to see if the mandatory 200 million tonne of ore could be found there.

The new findings of thorium deposits have taken the government by surprise. They have appoached the AMC to investigate and estimate the amount of Thorium deposits present in the area, the commercial value of the deposits and also whether they are available in other districts.