CHENNAI: Months after being exempted from mandatory public hearings on grounds of “strategic importance”, IREL (India) Limited has moved ahead with its proposal for large-scale mining of atomic minerals in Kanniyakumari district, filing a fresh application for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance.
According to records of the Union Environment Ministry, the public sector undertaking submitted its CRZ application on March 26. The proposal is currently under examination.
The project seeks approval to mine atomic and heavy minerals, including monazite, zircon, ilmenite, rutile, sillimanite and garnet, across 1,144 hectares in coastal villages of Killiyoor taluk, such as Keezhmidalam, Midalam, Enayamputhenthurai, Ezhudesam and Kollencode. The proposed production capacity is 1.5 million tonnes per annum.
The fresh push for CRZ clearance follows the environment ministry’s amendment of the project’s Terms of Reference (ToR) in July 2025, granting it exemption from public consultation.
In a communication dated July 2, 2025, the ministry accepted the Department of Atomic Energy’s position that the project falls under “strategic” activities governed by the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and therefore qualifies for exemption from public hearings under the EIA Notification, 2006.
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) had also noted that the proposed mining method would leave no long-term footprint and could potentially reduce background radiation levels after extraction, strengthening the case for exemption.
With this hurdle cleared, the CRZ application marks a key step towards securing final environmental clearance. The mining lease spans 1,144.06 hectares and is classified as a Category ‘A’ project, requiring central clearance.
Rs 31-cr project falls within ecologically-sensitive zones
The project proposes extraction of 1.5 million tonnes per annum of raw ore, to be transported to IREL’s mineral separation plant at Manavalakurichi.
Mining will involve excavation of beach sand minerals to a depth of about nine metres, followed by backfilling and restoration under a progressive mine closure plan. The project cost is estimated at Rs 31.25 crore. However, a significant portion of the lease area falls within ecologically sensitive coastal zones.
Around 353.48 hectares lie within CRZ categories I, II and III, including No Development Zones, while the rest lies outside CRZ limits. Given the presence of monazite, which contains thorium, a radiological baseline study by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre assessed radiation exposure levels in air, water, soil and food samples in the region.Even before the exemption from public hearing, the project had drawn opposition from sections of local residents and activists.
Concerns have been raised over the extent of private land within the proposed mining area, with critics questioning how consent from landowners would be obtained. Private beach sand miners have also objected to parts of the proposal involving privately held land, while legal precedents, including rulings of the Madras High Court, state that mining on patta land requires explicit consent from landowners.