The Ministry of Mines awarded tungsten mining rights to Hindustan Zinc Limited (Vedanta) in Melur, Madurai district through an auction.
The earmarked area covers several villages, including Arittapatti, a recently declared biodiversity heritage site.
Government's Position:
The Ministry of Mines claims it followed the Mines and Minerals Act for the auction.
They assert the area is rich in tungsten and essential for strategic applications.
The Ministry of Mines report identifies the Periyar canal as the water source for mining.
Public Opposition:
People, environmental activists, and politicians strongly oppose the project.
Concerns include destruction of flora and fauna, cultural heritage disruption, and potential environmental damage.
The location overlaps with a designated biodiversity heritage site critical for conservation.
Tungsten is a refractory metal with a unique set of properties including:
the highest melting point among all elements,
high elastic modulus,
high density,
high thermal conductivity,
excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures.
These exceptional properties make tungsten the choice of material for many applications, such as incandescent light bulb filaments, heating elements, and kinetic energy penetrators.
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