THOOTHUKUDI: The state Department of Natural Resources has strongly opposed the plan to declare Kuthiraimozhi and Sathankulam red-sand desert areas as wildife sanctuary and ecosensitive zone, stating that IREL-TAMIN plans to establish beach sand mineral processing plant as part of the Union government’s announcement to establish a dedicated Rare Earth Corridor.
The proposal to declare the entire mineral-bearing land as wildlife sanctuary would significantly affect future scientific exploration, organised exploitation of heavy minerals, and the union government’s Rare Earth Corridor project, states the Department of Geology & Mining, which is under the Department of Natural Resources.
A demarcation committee consisting of officials of geology and mining, revenue, and survey departments had outlined mineral-bearing lands in Kuthiraimozhi and Veeramanikkam villages to an extent of 5,547 hectare including 5152.51 ha of Kuthiraimozhi Reserve Forest. Similarly, 2093.87 ha of mineral-bearing land at Puthukulam, Naduvakurichi, Arasur 1, Arasur 2 villages, including 893.78 ha of Sathankulam Reserve Forest, was earmarked, states a report accessed by TNIE.
The geology and mining department refused to issue a “no objection certificate” for the wildlife sanctuary, stating that mineral rights vest with the government and the demand for rare earth minerals is high, states the report.
Interestingly, other line departments have not yet opposed the conservation project.
Natural Resources Minister TK Prabhu said that the matter has not yet come up for discussion.
The mineral-rich Kuthiraimozhi and Sathankulam red-sand desert areas (known locally as teri) are an important natural resource of the nation and are crucial for both strategic and economic reasons, a department official said.
The teri areas have considerable potential of heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, monazite, sircon, kyanite, sillimanite and garnet. The region has deposits of 52 million tonnes of heavy minerals, show reports of the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research.
A senior forest official, meanwhile, told TNIE that the redsand deserts are habitats of unique and rare reptile species, including porcupine, pangolin, fan-throated lizards, hedgehog, besides Indian fox, rare beetle species. Many of them are protected under the Wildlife Act, 1972. “These species live in soil and burrows, and are active only in the night hours. The mining activity for removing heavy minerals present in the teri would sabotage their habitats and threaten its existence,” he said.
The teri is a unique landscape, and an ecologically fragile region.
An eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) should be formed to protect the sanctuary as mandated by a Supreme Court order of 2022. The ESZ around Kuthiraimozhi and Sathankulam teri desert will cover 19 village panchayats where village forest committees (VFC) function. Another SC order prohibits any mining activity within one kilometre from the boundary of a wildlife sanctuary.
With the declaration of a sanctuary, there will be more funds available for the protection of rare species from poaching and illegal mining, the forest official added.
As reported earlier, a JV formed by the IREL and TAMIN plans to apply for beach sand mining lease for extracting heavy minerals from the Kuthiraimozhi and Sathankulam teri areas.
