Although there is sufficient potential of minerals in Lumbini province, the government has not shown any interest in its excavation and identification. The federal government itself has the right to extract minerals. Since the federalism did not even give rights and the provinces did not create separate laws, despite being recognized in the provinces, precious mines have been stranded in the form of forests and bushes due to lack of mining.

In the hilly district of Lumbini province, there are gold to salt and petrol, iron to limestone and slate mines . According to the study conducted by the directorate of industry, commerce and consumer interest protection of the provincial government in 2077, 9 types of metallic, 11 types of non-metallic and 3 types of construction minerals were identified in 9 districts of Lumbini province. According to the directorate, there is a gold mine in Rolpa, a high mountain district of the province. According to the data of the Department of Mines and Geology, gold is found in a place called Bargo of Sunchhahari Rural Municipality of Rolpa. It has been discovered that polymetallic metal, which is considered precious, is present in Sunchahari. Despite the distribution of licenses for both gold and metal in Rolpa, the mining of the same has not been done.

Similarly, gold is also found on the banks of the Kaligand which flows through Lumbini and Gandaki provinces. From Purtighat of Gulmi's Kaligandaki Rural Municipality to the banks of Gandaki in Baglung section, there is a crowd of gold seekers every year from February to Baisakh. However, none of the local governments of Rolpa, Rukum and Gulmi have yet identified and studied such mines.

The federal government had prepared to study gold mining in Rolpa's Sunchhahari rural municipality. However, due to the federal law, the local government has not been able to study the mines, said Ash Bahadur Pun Magar, the former chairman of the village. "When we tried to do it, we got information that the mines are under the federal government," he said, "then neither the federal government nor the local government has been able to do anything." He said that since the local government only wanted to facilitate and coordinate, no work could be done in the places where there was a lot of potential for gold. He claims that gold mines will be found in more than half a dozen places in Rolpa if searched and studied.

The coal mine in Ghorahi, Dang. Photo: Durgalal KC/Kantipur

It is mentioned in the data of the Department of Mines and Geology that licenses have been distributed for 35 places to mine petrol, salt, iron, coal, limestone, dolomite, red soil in Dang. There are only 17 mines in Banglachuli rural municipality in Dang. There are also mines in Ghorahi and Tulsipur sub-metropolitan cities and Shantinagar and Babai rural municipalities. There is a petrol mine in Tulsipur sub-metropolitan city-13 Phulbari. It is estimated that there is a salt mine in Dang Rihar area . It has not yet been excavated. "We have heard that there is salt in this area," said Satishlal Tharu, a local, "but no one has paid attention to mining it yet."

There is a limestone mine in Pyuthan, Arghakhanchi. Although there is a mineral called Silica Sand in Raptisonari Rural Municipality of Banke, it has not been mined yet. Copper mines in Serawang, Morabang and Jhumlabang of Bhume Rural Municipality of Rukum East are lying idle . There is also a lead mine in Jhumlabang. Chakra Bahadur Budha of Bhume rural municipality-5 Serawang said that the iron ore in Serawang was mined by the Indian Tata company from 2028 to 2052. "It stopped after the Maoist conflict escalated," he said, "After that no one cared until now." The local government also did not show interest. The mine was all swept away by the landslide.' He said that in 2066, a Chinese team came to study, but no one took the initiative to excavate.

In most of the places in Gulmi, the names of the villages have been kept after the name of the mine. Copper was extracted from the mine until 2040 in Jaikhani, Foxing and other places of Kaligand rural municipality. However, the mines that were stopped after that are still stuck.

Palpa has shiny stones and minerals like copper, iron, coal, limestone, dolomite, crystal. There are many mines in Mathagadhi, Purvkhola, Tinau, Triveni, Nisdi and Rainadevi Rural Municipality of Palpa. There are iron mines in Tinau and Ribdikot. Although the iron mine in Tinau with an area of ​​1.500 square kilometers has been excavated, it is now abandoned. Ribdikot has not been excavated.

In various places of Lumbini province, metallic minerals are found which are used to make filaments of ship engines, rockets and scientific instruments. Molybdenum metal is found in Samarbhamar region on the border of Arghakhanchi and Gulmi and Lungri in Rolpa. This metal, which can withstand extreme heat and pressure, is used in the filaments of ship engines, rockets and scientific instruments. It is also a precious metal . However, it does not seem to have been studied anywhere. Arsenic metal found in many places of Rolpa has not been found. This metal is used in pesticides, skin care chemicals, pharmaceuticals and communication equipment.

Similarly, there are metal mines in some places of Rukum, Gulmi, Nawalparasi, Arghakhanchi, Rolpa and Dang. Many copper mines, which were in use until three decades ago, are still in a derelict state. Kaligandaki, Resunga and Musikot municipalities of Gulmi have copper mines in only 10 places. Mines, which are being operated and mined until 2040, have now turned into forests and bushes . The local government has not shown interest in such mines. Cobalt used to make enamel, lead, zinc used in batteries and X-ray machines are also found in Gulmi and Arghakhanchi.

Despite the possibility of petroleum products to salt in Dang, it has not been discovered yet due to rights, said Nityanand Sharma, head of District Coordination Committee Dang. Mines are at the local level, but the right to study, research and mine them is under the union. "We have many mines that have the potential to extract petrol, salt, lime, etc.," he said, "However, the right to identify and mine them lies with the Union, which also shows the problem of unexplored and unexploited mines."

Tansen municipality-8, iron mine in Chapgaon . Photo: Madhav Aryal/Kantipur

Along with metal, non-metallic minerals also have a lot of potential in Lumbini region. From limestone to non-metallic minerals used in agriculture and chemical fertilizer production, there are minerals in the province. Magnesite, which is used in agricultural fertilizers and chemical industry, is also available in Lumbini. Phosphorite used in the production of chemical fertilizers, mica used in electrical equipment, pottery, medicine, paper, clay used to make cement, kharidhunga used to make antiseptic powder applied to the skin and used in insecticides are also found in many places of the province .

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of the state. In 2077/078, the mines and mineral products in the province were identified by spending nearly 6 million rupees. However, information officer and senior forest officer of the ministry, Sushil Subedi, said that more details are not available in the ministry. "No such file has been found in the ministry with a study of mines," he said, "however, we cannot do anything because the rights related to mining are with the federal government."