With autumn rains, diamond hunt begins in several Kurnool villages
KURNOOL : It is a common phenomenon that hundreds of people throng agricultural fields in Jonnagiri, Peravali, Pagidirai, Tuggali and Maddikera in the district soon after the autumn rains in search of diamonds and colour stones. Villagers from neighbouring Anantapur, Kadapa and Prakasam districts in the State and Bellary in Karnataka also visit the Kurnool villages to try their luck.
They stay in makeshift tents in agricultural fields till the end of the diamond hunt season. According to geologists, colour stones surface after rains wash away several layers of the earth. Due to farming works, only locals are taking part in the diamond hunt now in the villages of Tuggali and Maddikera mandals.
According to a legend, Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya hid a huge treasure of diamonds and gold in the region. Hence, people of several villages pan the area with a hope of finding the treasure.
According to an estimate, diamonds and colour stones worth Rs 4 crore are found in Tuggali and Maddikera during the diamond hunt season on an average. The diamond hunt has been going on for the past several decades. There are instances of a few people becoming rich overnight by finding diamonds. Middlemen also throng the villages to exploit the people who find diamonds and colour stones. As most of the people are illiterate and ignorant, they are not aware of the value of diamonds and colour stones they find during the hunt. The middlemen used to grab the diamonds and colour stones by offering a meagre amount and latter they sell them to jewellers for a huge price.
K Sekhar Goud of Jonnagiri said locals had already started the diamond hunt in the village soon after the recent rains. However, no colour stone has been found yet. But, a rumour is making rounds that a Tuggali man chanced to find a gem worth `10 lakh, he added. Teams of scientists from the US and Australia representing some foreign firms, explored in Peravali and Jonnagiri earlier for precious metals and gems. Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Tushar Gandhi had readied a plan for diamond exploration by adopting Pagidirai, P Kothur and Chinna Jonnagiri villages earlier, said an elderly man having some knowledge of diamond hunt in the monsoon season in the region.
Speaking to TNIE, Jonnagiri Sub-Inspector K Ramanjaneyulu said, “We have not received any reliable information about unearthing a diamond or a colour stone this season so far.” On exploration works in Pagidirai, he said Geomysore Services India Pvt Ltd did digging and drilling in the village last year to find precious metals after obtaining mining licence from the government, the SI added.