Tamil Nadu Villages Rally Against Tungsten Mining to Protect Biodiversity

Farmers in Tamil Nadu are celebrating a state assembly resolution opposing tungsten mining in 48 villages, including Arithapatti. They urge the government to formally declare the region a protected biodiversity and agricultural zone, amid fears of environmental destruction from a project approved by the central government.

Following the Tamil Nadu assembly's decision to pass a special resolution against the tungsten mining project, local farmers and the Anti-Tungsten Mining Project Association have voiced their approval. They are pressing for a declaration to safeguard 48 villages, including Arithapatti, in Madurai district, as protected biodiversity and agricultural zones.

The area, already recognized as Tamil Nadu's first biodiversity heritage site in 2022, encompasses notable historical sites and rare wildlife, including the Rasaali Parrot. Despite this, Hindustan Zinc Limited, part of Vedanta group, has been given central government approval to begin tungsten mining, leading to significant local opposition and protests.

Residents, frustrated by these developments, demand concrete government action. Local villager Partipan highlighted the need for official protections similar to those established in Delta districts against hydrocarbon projects. Kumaran, from the Anti-Tungsten group, emphasized the potentially disastrous consequences on agriculture and natural resources, advocating for the central government to cancel the project altogether.

(With inputs from agencies.)