Mining

Farming diamonds

A quest for diamonds in the dust in Panna district
DIG IT UP Any farmer, landowner or a contractor who wants to search for diamonds gets the field registered and receives a patta that grants them the right to undertake mining activities for the year. The next step involves digging up the field to a depth of about 6 metres to unearth chunks of boulders, gravel and rubble. The digging of the field is usually completed before the monsoon.
DIG IT UP Any farmer, landowner or a contractor who wants to search for diamonds gets the field registered and receives a patta that grants them the right to undertake mining activities for the year. The next step involves digging up the field to a depth of about 6 metres to unearth chunks of boulders, gravel and rubble. The digging of the field is usually completed before the monsoon. Photographs by Vikas Choudhary
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Soils in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh are blessed with the most precious of all stones—diamond. Every year during the rainy season, big landowners and small farmers begin their quest to find diamonds in the fields. They hire labourers and contractors to dig up and sift through the land, using rainwater to clear and wash the unearthed gravel in the drought-prone region. People involved in the trade say the search for precious stones is like an addiction that ends up destroying most. Rarely does one find a diamond in the field, but that one rare case is enough to fuel the desire for continuing the search in the rest of the farmers. Down To Earth travels to Sarkoha village that has more than a hundred of such “private mines” and employs thousands of labourers every year to search for diamonds.

CLEANED AND SIEVED - The rubble left in the pits overnight is cleaned the next day. The process requires a lot of water. Typically, the water collected in the pits from the rain is utilised.
CLEANED AND SIEVED - The rubble left in the pits overnight is cleaned the next day. The process requires a lot of water. Typically, the water collected in the pits from the rain is utilised.
LEFT TO DRY - The cleaned stones are left to dry in the sun for a couple of hours.
LEFT TO DRY - The cleaned stones are left to dry in the sun for a couple of hours.
ONE IN A BILLION - In 2024, Swamideen Pal found a 32-carat diamond in his small field. The precious stone is estimated to be worth R1.5 crore. The 60-year-old farmer had embarked upon his diamond quest only three years prior to this.
ONE IN A BILLION - In 2024, Swamideen Pal found a 32-carat diamond in his small field. The precious stone is estimated to be worth R1.5 crore. The 60-year-old farmer had embarked upon his diamond quest only three years prior to this.
CLOSE WATCH - The dried up stones are manually checked carefully. This process is conducted under the watchful eyes of the contractor or the owner of the field. Any precious object unearthed is deposited.
CLOSE WATCH - The dried up stones are manually checked carefully. This process is conducted under the watchful eyes of the contractor or the owner of the field. Any precious object unearthed is deposited.

This was originally published in the 1-15 April, 2025 print edition of Down To Earth

Madhya Pradesh
Central India
Panna
Diamond
Down To Earth
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