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In spite of low accessibility, thick vegetal, and soil/ debris/ moraine cover, the state of Sikkim is
represented by a number of base metal occurrences. Most of the occurrences are in the Daling Group of
rocks in parts of the West, South, and East districts of Sikkim. Base metal occurrences at Bhotang,
Pachekhani and Dikchu have been explored in detail. The Bhotang and Pachekhani lodes which are mined
presently are possibly the only working mines in the Himalayas. Among nonmetallic minerals coal,
graphite, dolomite, limestone, marble, wollastonite, talc, sillimanite and asbestos, etc. also occur.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has completed systematic geological mapping of 90 % of accessible
land on a 1 : 50000 scale and carried out mineral exploration mostly around parts of South, West, and
East Sikkim. The State Department of Mines, Minerals, and Geology has been working on site-specific
geological & geotechnical studies, on a prioritized basis, both agencies have found large deposits of low
value - high bulk minerals besides base metal occurrences mostly within the Daling Group of rocks called
Gorubathan Formation. The activities of the GSI and the State Department of Mines and Geology are
reviewed periodically and monitored during Central Geological and State Geological Board meetings.
Despite efforts by the Department of Mines, Minerals & Geology, Government of Sikkim, and the GSI, large
areas of the State remain unexplored. However, the occurrence of some minerals has been studied.