KOCHI: The Kerala government has strongly opposed the Union Government’s decision to allow private sector participation in offshore atomic minerals mining, warning of severe consequences for national security, the marine ecosystem, and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Industries Minister P Rajeeve criticised the Offshore Areas Atomic Minerals Rules, 2025, which permit exploration and mining of radioactive minerals like thorium and uranium in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including by private and potentially foreign agencies. “This is a unilateral move by the Centre. Despite the fact that atomic mineral-rich seabeds lie off Kerala’s coast, no consultation was held with the state. It’s a clear violation of federal principles and an encroachment on constitutional rights,” the minister said in a statement.
The new rules, he said, grant the Centre and its agencies exclusive control over licensing, completely bypassing the states. “The powers vested with the Union under these rules will allow private players and foreign contractors to exploit deep-sea atomic mineral reserves—posing a direct threat to national security,” Rajeeve said.
Offshore mining rules are threat to coastal livelihoods
Kerala’s coastline, along with parts of Odisha and Tamil Nadu, is known for its rich deposits of beach sand minerals that contain thorium—crucial for India’s nuclear energy ambitions. Rajeeve said the rules would disproportionately impact Kerala, home to public sector undertakings involved in beach sand mineral processing. “This will jeopardise not just the operations of these PSUs but also the thousands employed by them,” he said.
Equally alarming, according to the state, is the environmental damage that deep-sea mining can cause. “Offshore atomic minerals mining will severely disrupt fragile marine habitats, destroy fish stocks, and collapse food chains,” the minister warned. “It will directly affect the livelihoods of lakhs of traditional fishers who depend on these waters.”
He accused the Centre of ignoring Kerala’s repeated objections while moving forward with plans to permit exploration and mining in areas adjacent to the state’s maritime boundaries. “The sudden notification of these rules, without dialogue or transparency, is unacceptable,” he said.
Calling the move an “injustice to coastal states,” Rajeeve demanded the complete withdrawal of the Offshore Areas Atomic Minerals Rules, 2025. “The Centre must understand that this is not merely a matter of resource exploitation — it is a question of environmental protection, constitutional rights, and human survival,” he said.
