Mineral resources of Cuddapah district

Abstract

Minerals constitute for the economic growth of any country and India is one of the endowed with this gift of nature. The mineral industry place a very important role in any industrial development of the country. The cuddapah district forms a part of the south-western and southern part of Cuddapah basin which is named after the town Cuddapah where the cuddapah system of rocks well developed. The cuddapah basin has more than 6 kms thick sedimentary and rests over a granite gneiss and schist basement with a profound unconformity. The sedimentary pile is classified into lower cuddapah Super group and above Kurnool group. Studies on the geology and tectonics of the cuddapah basin were first carried out by king (1872). Statigraphically, the cuddapah basin is divided into Papagni, Chitravathi,Nallamalai groups and Srisailam quartzites. The basin comprises mainly ortho-quartzites-carbonate suit and basic to acid volcanic and sills in the lower part and siliceous sales with quartizes interbands in the upper part.(Nagarajarao et al 1987). In Andhra Pradesh the Rayalaseema region is highly rich endowed with many kinds of mineral deposits. The Cuddapah district in Rayalaseema region covering an area of 15,373 sq. km forms an important region within the basin which is named after the town cuddapah–cuddapah basin. This district is bounded on the north by Kurnool and Prakasam districts, on the east by Nellore district, on the west by Anantapur district and on the south by Chittoor district. This district is drained by the Pennar River and number of tributes. Among the tributaries present in this district, the important are Papapagni, Chitravathi, Kunderu, Sagileru and Cheyyuru.