THOOTHUKUDI: In order to facilitate the IREL (India) Limited to obtain mining lease for quarrying seven critical minerals from beach sand, the Natural Resources Department of the Tamil Nadu government has extended the validity period of reservation for approval of 1,144.06 hectares of land for mining in eight coastal villages of Kanniyakumari district for one more year till June 10, 2027.
The order issued by the TVK government on June 10, 2026, has drawn criticism from political parties, environmentalists and fishermen as the TVK had passed a resolution against the same project two years ago.
The state government has extended the land reservation validity by citing national security and strategic importance of atomic minerals.
The Ministry of Mines, in a notification dated June 11, 2021, reserved 1,144.06.18 hectares in eight coastal villages including Keezhmidalam-A, Midalam-B, Enayamputhuenthurai, Ezhudesam-A and Ezhudesam -B.
‘DMK govt kept project on hold because of stiff public opposition’
The other villages covered under the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957, for undertaking prospecting or mining operations are Ezhudesam -C, Kollencode-A, and Kollencode- B in Killiyir taluk of Kanniyakumari district. The validity of the reservation given for five years has lapsed on June 10, 2026.
The IREL had sought mining lease from Tamil Nadu government for mining beach sand minerals, including ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, ziron, monazite, garnet and sillimanite, in the identified land area.
The mining plan was approved by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) in February, 2024, and the Union Minister of Environment, Forest, Climate Change had exempted public hearing for the project citing national defence and security.
The validity, however, lapsed before IREL could get Environment Clearance and Coastal Regulation Zone Clearance to obtain the mining leases, and the state has now extended the validity by a year.
Former DMK Minister Mano Thangaraj told TNIE that the DMK government kept the project on hold because of stiff public opposition. “The government should have taken into account people’s interest before extending the validity period of reservation,” he said.
He also said the communication of the Director of Geology and Mining to IREL on April 16, 2026, when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in effect due to Assembly elections, is a clear violation of the election code.
All Indian fisherman welfare association state vice president Arul Anandan of Poothurai near Thoothukudi said that the previous DMK government assured the agitation committee that they will not give environmental clearance for beach sand mining by IREL.
Former CM MK Stalin wrote letter to central government to cancel the project. However, the issuance of extension order given on the last day of the five-year period raises suspicion that some strong force may be behind it, Arul Anandan said.
Meanwhile, Anukanima Suranga Ethirpu Makkal Iyakkam functionary Kurumbanai Berlin, while condemning the TVK government for granting the extension, questioned whether CM Vijay knew that his government had granted permission for a disastrous project.
Despite repeated attempts, Natural Resources Minister TK Prabhu could not be reached for his comments.