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PART IV. 



Economic Summary. 

 The detailed examination of these Karanpura fields has proved 

 that they contain a very large supply of fuel, and are quite capable 

 of meeting any requirements which are likely to be made upon them 

 for industrial purposes. 



With regard to their geographical position, they are conveniently 

 situated between the towns of Hazaribagh and Ranchi, but the physical 

 conformation of the country renders them difficult of access — in the 

 ordinary acceptation of the word from either of those stations. 



Occupying as the fields do the low level country of the Damuda 

 valley, and being hemmed in by table-lands and hills, it will require 

 a considerable expenditure of money to open out a road for establishing 

 communication between the valley and the up-land. 



With reference to Hazaribagh, which is only fourteen miles distant 

 from the nearest point of the Karanpura field, the easiest routes to open 

 out are either of the two ghats, Mathra or Daini. I would myself give 

 the preference to the latter, because an extremely fine seam, the Arakara, 

 occurs close to it ; limestone (recent) may be obtained in its neighbour- 

 hood, iron ore exists in abundance, and its position with regard to 

 the field is more central than that of any other ghat. This last fact 

 is, I think, the strongest point in its favour, for the Mathra ghat taps 

 the Gondalpura seams of coal and iron. 



If any permanent way be opened up, the value of a position so 

 central as that of Daini ghat, with the collateral advantage of all 

 the materials, requisite in constructive or metallurgical operations, being 

 close at hand, cannot be overlooked. 



In estimating the probable amount of coal contained in either 

 basin, there is an element of uncertainty owing to the very few natural 



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