CHENNAI: The State Planning Commission has identified 88 out of 5,051 mines in Tamil Nadu as having high potential for ecological restoration. These mines, accounting for roughly 2% of the total in the state, are primarily located in Ariyalur and Salem districts.
Among the identified sites, limestone, magnesite and vermiculite mines were the most prominent. While Ariyalur and Salem host the majority of these high-potential mines, Tamil Nadu's only vermiculite mine is situated in Tirupattur district. In contrast, districts like Dindigul and Coimbatore showed lower restoration potential, mainly due to the nature of their mineral resources. The report indicated that 394 mines (7.8%) have a moderate potential for restoration, whereas 4,569 mines (90.4%) possess a low potential.
The report noted that the mines that have high and moderate potential for restoration are either owned by corporate entities or the government, making them highly feasible for collaborative restoration efforts.
These findings were disclosed from a study titled "Identification of potential mine sites in Tamil Nadu for restoration or assessment of mining sites using geospatial information", conducted by the Tamil Nadu State Land Use Research Board of the State Planning Commission in partnership with Botanical Services, Auroville. The project was led by Paul Blanchflower, director of Botanical Services, and aimed at identifying and assessing abandoned and underutilised mines across the state for possible ecological restoration.
Of the 40 mines selected for field surveys, assessments have been completed for 37. Among these, six mines were found to have high restoration potential -- Walayar limestone mine (ACC Cements), Periyathirukonam limestone mine (Dalmia), Dholipatti limestone mine (Chettinad Cements), Maravaperungudi limekankar mine (Ramco), Ottakoil limestone mine (Ultratech Cements) and Alathiyur limestone mine (Ramco).
Restoration efforts at these sites are already under way, led by the respective corporate owners. In addition, eight other mines were identified as having moderate potential for restoration.
The report notes that the assessment for restoration potential considered a range of parameters including soil properties, water availability, proximity to ecologically sensitive zones, existing vegetation, topography, and land ownership. Among the recommendations, the report highlighted the Ramco limestone mine in Alathiyur, Ariyalur district, which ceased operations in 2018. The site includes two pits -- one water-filled and the other dry and is relatively shallow, making it especially suitable for restoration. Similarly, it recommended restoring the limestone mine at Pudupalayam, where operations have stopped across a 64-acre area.