TN seeks centre’s approval to mine two critical minerals
CHENNAI: The state’s natural resources department has sought permission from the Union government to mine two critical minerals - molybdenum and tungsten. A top government official said the department has identified sites with deposits of these two minerals, which have a variety of industrial uses.
“We are aware of local and socio-economic concerns of the people and sought permission from the Union government,” the official said.
The state is looking at joint ventures to develop the mines for the two minerals. Molybdenum can play a major role in the state becoming a hydrogen hub while tungsten can help in energy storage, official sources said. India’s molybdenum ore deposit is about 19.29 million tonnes. Out of these, Tamil Nadu has the biggest deposits of about 9.97 million tonnes of ore. It is identified as a mineral of high economic interest for the country and is also used in making missile and aircraft parts; and in the nuclear industry.
Tamil Nadu has three blocks where molybdenum occurs as molybdenite and has been planning to auction these mines earlier. However, it got stuck as the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) has not determined the royalty of the mineral and its average sale price. The molybdenum reserves were found for the first time in Harur taluk in Dharmapuri in 1995.
Molybdenum is a refractory metal used principally as an alloying agent in steel, cast iron, and superalloys to enhance strength and resistivity to wear and corrosion. It is used in high-strength steel for automobiles to reduce weight and improve fuel economy and safety. Molybdenum is being considered by the manufacturers of hydrogen electrolysers as a possible replacement raw material.
Similarly, Tungsten is available in Madurai district. It is a rare metal found naturally on earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements and identified by the union government as a mineral of high economic importance for the country. Tungsten can be used in the production of lithium-tungsten oxide batteries, all of which exhibit high energy storage capacity and improved stability.
Won’t allow tungsten mining, centre must retract nod: CM Stalin to PM Modi
A notified biodiversity heritage site falls under one of the areas proposed for mining, and commercial mining in densely populated villages will affect the people who fear that their livelihood may be lost forever, Stalin said in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CM urged the PM to revoke the award of tungsten mining rights and direct the Ministry of Mines to desist from inviting bids for mining without the consent of the state government.
“The Union Ministry of Mines has declared Hindustan Zinc Limited as the preferred bidder for the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten block (classified as a Critical and Strategic Mineral) under Tranche IV on November 7.
The block includes villages such as Kavattayampatti, Ettimangalam, A Vellalapatti, Arittapatti, Kidaripatty, and Narasingampatti. Among these, Arittapatti is a notified biodiversity heritage site, renowned for its archaeological monuments, including cave temples, sculptures, Jain symbols, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, and Pancha Pandavar stone beds. Any mining activity would cause irreparable damage to these sites,” Stalin said in his letter.
The CM emphasised the severe impact of mining on the populated villages. He stated it caused immense distress to residents who fear the permanent loss of their livelihood. He directly attributed the ongoing unrest in Madurai to the centre’s decision to award tungsten mining rights and urgently requested the PM to intervene and reconsider the move.
CM Stalin staging a drama by writing to PM, says EPS
“We had already expressed our concern regarding the auctioning of mining rights through a letter dated October 3, 2023, from our Minister for Water Resources and Natural Resources.
However, the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, in his response dated November 2, 2023, rejected these concerns,” Stalin added.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed the DMK government on the issue. Speaking to reporters in Salem district, he said the CM was staging a drama by writing a letter to the PM.
“People at Naickanpatti in Melur taluk have been staging protests against the project. In a letter dated October 2023, DMK government sought the centre’s permission for tungsten mining in the village.
After the people started protesting the move, now Stalin is staging a drama,” he said. EPS also cited the TNIE report ‘TN seeks centre’s approval to mine two critical minerals’ dated October 18, 2023.
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