Taking cognisance of an advocate commissioner’s report, who submitted that there was substantial percentage of atomic minerals present along the Thamirabarani river, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Centre and the State to carry out an inspection and preserve sand or mineral excavated from the river.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi observed that the presence of atomic minerals like Garnet, Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Leucoxene, Sillimanite, Kyanite and Monazite in the Thamirabarani river was detected way back in 1942-43 during the British regime, yet no steps were taken by the government to tap the minerals, the court said.
The court observed that the Atomic Minerals Concession Rules was enacted in the year 2016, thereby allowing the erosion of such valuable minerals for the past 75 years. The advocate commissioner K. Kalaivanan who has also served as a geologist submitted that the atomic minerals can be regulated only by the Central government.
The court suo motu impleaded the Centre: Secretary to the Department of Atomic Energy, the Director of the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research and the State: Secretary to the Industries Department and the Secretary to the Public Works Department. The court sought a response from the newly impleaded respondents.
Any mineral or sand or whatever excavated from the Thamirabarani river, even for construction purposes shall be preserved till the inspection and a report is filed in the case, the judges said. The court was hearing the petition filed by K. Balakrishnan of Thoothukudi district who sought a direction to the authorities to prevent illegal sand mining in the river.
After the counsel representing the petitioner submitted before the court that the petitioner faced life threat and was intimidated to withdraw the petition, the judges directed the Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police to provide adequate police protection to the petitioner. The case was adjourned till December 21 for further hearing.
