THE discovery of copper and gold in Chiniot/Rajoa areas in Punjab is the talk of the town after the prime minister`s visit to the site. No doubt traces of gold and copperare there butthefocus should be on iron ore to give impetus to national economy.
One hundred and 10 million tons of the already proven iron ore in Chiniot need to be transformed into steel by establishing a mini-steel mill. Besides, 500m tons of inferred iron ore resource of Rajoa, adjacent to Chiniot, should be a good sign for sustainable development of the steel industry.
A geophysical study for prospection of new iron ore anomalies in Sargodha, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura would open new avenues for exploiting the subterranean (120 to 180 metres depth) iron ore deposits because the same outcrop of rock in Sargodha and Chiniot goes deep beneath fertile alluvial Punjab plains.By developing a sustainable strategy the country can benefit from the hidden treasure of Punjab`s iron ore, besides copper and gold`s positive indication from the precious metal-bearing sulfide zone.
