Bargarh: As incredible as it may seem, Mahanadi has gold deposits on its riverbed and searching for gold granules is still the most sought after profession among people of Jhara community of Udepur village in Deshbhatli panchayat under Bheden block, according to a report.
Following the popular practice of their ancestors, Jharas continue to trace gold grains and manage to run their families with what they get from the Mahanadi water.
The villagers go deep into the river, 2 km from the village, with tools like sieves, broken tiles and iron rods and get absorbed in their hunt for gold.
While a few get some grains by noon, others have to bend their backs till evening to get hold of some pellets. They pick up sand, small pieces of stones and other shining material and clean them in the water to get the yellow metal which they sell to gold traders. Every day, traders from Burla, Sambalpur and Gosala visit the village to procure gold.
A group of people enter the river either by swimming or in small boats on a regular basis. No one returns home empty handed, claimed the villagers.
“Earlier we used to eke out a living by fishing in Mahanadi. But the number of fish has come down over the years forcing us to explore gold in the river. Every day we manage to get about Rs 400,” said Kunti Patra of Udepur.
Basudev Patra said searching gold in Mahanadi has been his family profession for generations. The summer season is the best time to reap gold. He would continue to be in this profession in future as there are not many choices for a living, Basudev said.
“I had learnt from my father the art of collecting gold granules from the river. Though there are dry spells in this profession, sometimes we earn up to Rs 5,000 a day in certain pockets of the river,” described Arun Patra, another member of Jhara community.
“I am sure there are gold deposits inside Mahanadi. I have collected gold entire life and managed my family. However, the collection process is not easy. It requires a lot of strength to stand in water patiently to get your share which is not possible at this age,” said an elderly person Bibatsa Behera. PNN