Refuting the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF)‘s allegations that the State government was complicit in the Union government’s offshore sand-mining move, Industries Minister P. Rajeeve has said that the government had on three occasions conveyed its strong disapproval of the plan.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday (February 27, 2025), he said that the A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries department had participated in the roadshow organised by the Union Ministry of Mines showcasing the e-auction of offshore mineral blocks in Kochi in January and conveyed the State’s stance to Union Mines Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao.
Kerala’s concerns
Mr. Hanish had apprised the Union Ministry of the State’s policy position and current concerns in this regard and requested it to take necessary steps to protect the interests of the State by considering the various environmental and social issues that offshore mineral dredging may raise. When this issue came up for discussion at the 64th Central Geological Programming Board held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on January 19, the Union Mines Secretary himself informed the meeting that Kerala was concerned about the issue. He had also directed the National Institute of Oceanography to study the environmental issues related to offshore mining and submit a report.
On February 13, the Industries Secretary sent another communication to the Union government, expressing the State government’s “deep concern and anguish” at the decision to auction offshore blocks of construction grade sand. The letter, a copy of which was shared with the media, he requested the Union government to renounce the plan. He said that the amendments made in 2023 to the Offshore Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 are not fully in consonance with the interests of the States.
“Through the 2023 amendment (Section 5), the private sector has also been given participation in the mining sector. The State’s dissent was conveyed to the Union government during the opinion poll on the amendment of the Act. In the past, offshore exploration and mining was carried out under the supervision of Central government agencies such as Geological Survey of India, the Indian Bureau of Mines and the Atomic Minerals Directorate. However, this power has been removed in the 2023 amendment,” notes the letter.
Extraction of minerals
It also further expresses the State government’s deep concern regarding the chances of extracting minerals such as beach sand minerals that are abundantly seen in the coastal regions of Kollam in the guise of permission to extract construction grade sand. The royalty on mining of mineral wealth is entirely due to the Union government, as per Section 16 of the amendment. The glaring lacuna in the amendment is that does not take into account any environmental aspects. It will lead to a collapse of marine ecosystem, which ultimately affects fish wealth.
In another communication from K.S. Srinivas, Principal Secretary (Fisheries and Ports) to the Union Ministry of Mines on March 11, 2023, the State government had requested the imposing of a moratorium on mineral mining in the ocean because of the catastrophe it would cause to marine and estuarine fisheries and to thwart an impending environmental crisis.
Published – February 27, 2025 06:43 pm IST