Karnataka takes a shine to 'gold tourism' in defunct mining sites

Defunct gold mining sites in Gadag could be the next big attraction for those looking for an off-beat tourist experience and not afraid of bats.

The forest department is proposing to start ‘gold tourism’ in the Suvarnagiri (also known as Kanakagiri) range of Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary, which is said to host scores of extraction sites. A proposal has been in principle approved by the state government.

If things fall into place, this would be the first defunct gold mining site in India that will allow tourists for a peek of the hidden world that once throbbed with workers and equipment but is now eerily silent.

As per the Kappatagudda Management Plan prepared by the department, officials intend to allow visitors in tunnels to experience the British-era gold mining sites that were used to extract gold.

Tourists can also witness the railway railings installed in hundreds of kilometres, mechanical lifts, and, most importantly, traces of minute specs of gold in those 'caves’ that are currently abandoned and infested with bats.   

Locals say there are nearly 519 gold extraction sites in the protected area of the newly declared wildlife sanctuary. There are tens of rat-hole tunnels that were used for mining and mechanical lift areas that were used for lifting the ‘cleansed gold’ to the surface.

It is believed that the East India Company started gold mining at Kappatagudda in 1900. Post Independence, government agencies such as the Hutti Gold Mining Limited and Bharat Gold Mines Limited were extracting the yellow metal from these areas until 1982.

Sources say the central government agencies stopped excavating the gold as the quantity of gold extracted per tonne of earth was far less than the cost of extraction.

Ramgad Minerals and Mining Pvt, Ltd, a Baldota Group company, had shown interest in mining in this mineral rich area.

But legal tussles and opposition from locals and religious heads prompted the state government to deny permission for mining in the protected area. With the central government recently declaring it as wildlife sanctuary, the area gets more protection against hazardous activities.

According to Veeranna Goudar, a local, residents of several villages surrounding the mining sites used to illegally venture into the tunnels to extract gold. Several people had lost their lives in this process. With the government imposing strict rules, hardly anyone goes into these tunnels now, as most of them are filled with water.

Speaking to DH, Gadag Deputy Conservator of Forest Santoshkumar Kenchappanavar said the government has approved the management plan to develop Kappatagudda as an eco-tourism destination. “Gold tourism is one of the components. Safety of the visitors is paramount, so we are working on modalities and identifying tunnels which are safe,” he said.

Santoshkumar said the proposal is still in the preliminary stage and the department may take time to start the trekking in gold mines.

Tourism and district in-charge minister H K Patil said Kappatagudda is a very important tourism destination and efforts will be made to develop it. “A proposal for gold tourism has been sent. Let us hope for the best,” he said.