Depletion of thorium reserves from South Indian beaches, impacting India's nuclear doctrine and energy security: 14 blogposts

Depletion of thorium reserves from South Indian beaches, impacting India's nuclear doctrine and energy security: 14 blogposts

Executive Summary: The National Strategic Imperative
Sand containing Monazite in Kerala Sea Beach, India. Thorium found abundantly in beach sands of Kerala and Orissa Deposits of 225,000 tonne of thorium approx. BARC website http://www.barc.ernet.in/reactor/tfc_thri.html

The following blogposts are a clarion call to the nation 

-- to immediately arrange to protect the thorium reserves of India

-- to stop privatised mining of nuclear fuel complexes

-- to nationalise all mined nuclear fuel containing mineral complexes (such as Rutile, Zircon, Ilmenite, Monazite, Garnet, Sillimanite and other sand forms) with immediate effect by an Ordinance

-- to bring to book the parties involved in illegal mining of the sands/mineral complexes containing nuclear fuel

Conserving and protecting thorium reserves has the potential to catapult India as the world's pre-eminent Nuclear Power. The posts include documentary evidences including full texts of International Atomic Energy Agency and other Agencies' Reports re-affirming the pre-eminent position of India with one complex alone (Manavalakurichi) accounting for 30% of the world's reserves of thorium. India's proven scientific talent in Fast Breeder Reactors using thorium as breeding fuel (to breed Plutonium with dual uses) should be an integral part of India's Nuclear Doctrine and Plans for indigenous development of India's Energy Future based on the nuclear fuel.

The response of GOI has to be two-fold: 1. Strategic declaration of thorium as national asset and consequent decisions to nationalise thorium-containing reserves and stockpiles; 2. Tighterning bureaucratic procedures to safeguard the reserves of thorium-containing mineral complexes by instituting a Joint Armed Forces Nuclear Fuel Defence Command and a Minerals Regulatory Authority on the lines of Telecom Regulatory Authority and Insurance Regulatory Authority.

Vattakottai, an archeological site of Tamil Nadu state is in the south at about 1.1 km. from the mining site of Chandrakala Farms (of Azhagappapuram village, Agatheeswaram Taluk, Kanyakumari dist.) M/S VV Minerals are mining the rare minerals at nearby Kanakappapuram Village. (Section 1.4 of the Summary environmental impact assessment report, 2006 at: http://www.tnpcb.gov.in/pdf/chandra_eia_eng.pdf ) The proposal cleared was for manual mining of 15 tons/day over an extent of 2.135 ha.

Sand separating factory of VV Mineral at Kanakappapuram, Kanyakumari Dist.

The mining impasse

Both the Union government and Tamil Nadu's administration have permitted mining of sand from Tinnevelly and Kanyakumari coast, Tonnes of illmenite, garnet, rutile, silliminate and monosite sands have been removed. Many private companies like V V Minerals and Beach Minerals have also joined the bandwagon. The Union and state governments, along with the judiciary, want to aid the companies. Recently, Tinnevelly's assistant director of geology
permitted one of the private companies to take 150,000 tonnes of illmenite sand from the Kanyakumari coast. Money and muscle power have sustained the mafia. It has erected sand separating factories in Kanakappapuram village (Kanyakumari district). All the private companies take much more than their allocated quantity and much more than the sustainable. [Source: Down to Earth, February 28, 2005] (A news letter of ENVIS centre on environmental problems of mining areas, Page 59)

Full text of the report in Down to Earth follows:

The mining impasse: Both the Union government and Tamil Nadu's administration have permitted mining of sand from Tinnevelly and Kanyakumari coast. Tonnes of illmenite, garnet, rutile, silliminate and monosite sands have been removed. Many private companies like V V Minerals and Beach Minerals have also joined the bandwagon. The Union and state governments, along with the judiciary, want to aid the companies. Recently, Tinnevelly's assistant director of geology permitted one of the private companies to take 150,000 tonnes of illmenite sand from the Kanyakumari coast. Money and muscle power have sustained the mafia. It has erected sand separating factories in Kanakappapuram village (Kanyakumari district). All the private companies take much more than their allocated quantity and much more than the sustainable amount. Ironically, the officials issue them a no objection certificate. Agencies of the Union government even issue a certificate of excellence to these private companies! They then use these certificates in courts to get bans on mining declared null and void.

Non-governmental organisations like the Nagercoil-based Conservation of Nature along with fisherfolk have launched a crusade against sand mining. But the government has not paid any heed. Result -- death and destruction due to disasters like tsunami. Had the sea sand been retained, the impact of tsunami would have been much less and many lives would have been saved. At least now the government should listen to environmentalists.

R S LAL MOHAN
Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu...


http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/9191
Mineral unit raided near Kanyakumari

Staff Reporter 21 Aug. 2012

Nagercoil: A police team, led by the Superintendent of Police, B. Santhos Kumar, raided the V.V. Minerals factory belonging to Vaikundarajan at Kanakappapuram near Kanyakumari on Monday.

According to sources, the police conducted raid for more than four hours and seized important documents and compact discs. They also seized two machines meant for collecting rare earths in coastal areas. The police have registered a case and are further investigating.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/21/stories/2007082160590600.htm