Offshore mining rules are threat to coastal livelihoods

Kerala’s coastline, along with parts of Odisha and Tamil Nadu, is known for its rich deposits of beach sand minerals that contain thorium—crucial for India’s nuclear energy ambitions. Rajeeve said the rules would disproportionately impact Kerala, home to public sector undertakings involved in beach sand mineral processing. “This will jeopardise not just the operations of these PSUs but also the thousands employed by them,” he said.

Equally alarming, according to the state, is the environmental damage that deep-sea mining can cause. “Offshore atomic minerals mining will severely disrupt fragile marine habitats, destroy fish stocks, and collapse food chains,” the minister warned. “It will directly affect the livelihoods of lakhs of traditional fishers who depend on these waters.”

He accused the Centre of ignoring Kerala’s repeated objections while moving forward with plans to permit exploration and mining in areas adjacent to the state’s maritime boundaries. “The sudden notification of these rules, without dialogue or transparency, is unacceptable,” he said.

Calling the move an “injustice to coastal states,” Rajeeve demanded the complete withdrawal of the Offshore Areas Atomic Minerals Rules, 2025. “The Centre must understand that this is not merely a matter of resource exploitation — it is a question of environmental protection, constitutional rights, and human survival,” he said.