MADURAI: After the state government passed a resolution against tungsten mining, members of the Tungsten Surangathitta Ethirppu Makkal Kootamaippu in Madurai on Monday staged a demonstration, urging the central government to drop the mining project.
Residents of Arittapatti, A Vellalapatti and nearby villages said the mining project will affect around 5,000 acres of land belonging to 50 villages, agriculture fields and historically significant sites in the region.
Tamil Nadu Environment Protection Committee coordinator Mugilan, Parambumalai Pathugappu Iyakkam coordinator Karnan and Kanima Kolgaikku Ethirana Makkal Kottamaippu coordinator Kambur Selvaraj said the central government surveyed over 38,500 acres in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga for tungsten mining.
“I suspect that the Cauvery-Gundar River Link Project was initiated to aid tungsten mining. Countries such as China and Spain dropped tungsten mining projects after witnessing its consequences on the environment and people. The state government must take a firm decision against tungsten mining,” said Mugilan.
Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, in a post on X, said BJP leader Annamalai wrote to Union Minister G Kishan Reddy after witnessing the protests against the tungsten mining project, following which the latter assured that the project would be reconsidered.