CHENNAI: As per the Supreme Court order and the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change guidelines, the state government has framed rules, allowing mining within safe distance, said Minister for Water Resources and Mines, Durai Murugan on Friday.The minister also said quarry leases have been granted parcels of land adjacent to reserve forests with the condition that mining operations should not be carried out outside a radius of 60 metres.
“After introducing new safety-distance rule of 1 km from the boundary of the forest areas, the operations of quarries, mines, and crushing units were affected, with quarry owners raising the issue many a time,” he said.Until November 2021, more than 200 quarries and mines were functioning within 1 km of reserve forest area. “After the introduction of the new rule, these quarries had stopped mining,” he said.
In order to protect the interests of the affected quarry and mining lessees and workers and to increase the government’s revenue, the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules were amended on December 14, 2022, for mining and quarrying.
“As per the new rule, mining and quarrying are still not permissible within 1 km of radius of national parks, wild life sanctuaries, tiger reserves and elephant corridors,” the minister added.
Durai Murugan also pointed out the safety distances prescribed by the Supreme Court and guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change dated February 9, 2011, pertain to sanctuaries and national park areas only.
The safety distance from reserve forest was not prescribed in the orders. Hence, the amendment has been made in the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, by omitting the word “reserve forest” and establishing a safety distance of 60 metres from reserve forests.