Fresh concerns have emerged over the recently auctioned Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Block in Madurai district as it overlaps with the state’s first biodiversity heritage site (BHS). The block, auctioned under Tranche IV of the Auction of Critical and Strategic Mineral Blocks, has already faced public protests and opposition from the Tamil Nadu government.
According to a geological study conducted by the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry state units of the Geological Survey of India, the region contains scheelite, a mineral rich in tungsten.
Tungsten is a strategic resource extensively used in the automobile, medical and defence industries, making it highly sought after for industrial applications.
However, concerns arose when satellite mapping of the block’s coordinates revealed a startling overlap with the Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site, which spans 193,215 hectares across Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in Madurai district. The Tamil Nadu government declared this area a BHS on November 22, 2022, under the Biological Diversity Act of 2002.
Despite its ecological significance, the mineral block summary for the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Block did not provide any details regarding land classification.
The overlap has alarmed environmentalists and local residents as the auctioned block spans 2,015.51 hectares and lies at the G4 exploration level. Critics argue that mining activities in such an ecologically sensitive zone could threaten the area’s rich biodiversity and disrupt the natural ecosystem.
Figure 1: Map showing Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Block and Arittapatti BHS. Photo: Lokesh Parthiban
Ecological importance of the Arittapatti BHS
The village of Arittapatti comprises a chain of seven barren granite hillocks, characterised by its unique rocky terrain that serves as a critical watershed. This landscape supports three check dams, 72 lakes, and over 200 natural spring pools, making it essential for the region’s water resources.
Arittapatti is also a biodiversity hotspot, hosting approximately 250 bird species. Among them are three flagship raptors: Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata), shaheen falcon (Falco peregrinus), and laggar falcon (Falco jugger). The area is home to a variety of wildlife, including the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Indian python (Python molurus), and slender loris (Loris spp). These species, along with several other animals and birds, underscore the biological importance of the hillocks.
Madurai-based ornithologist Raveendran Natarajan highlights the ecological importance of Arittapatti saying, “The semi-evergreen forest of Azhagarmalai to the north and the scrub forest of Perumalmalai to the south frame the seven hillocks of Arittapatti. Both forests are managed by the Tamil Nadu forest department.”
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The region’s abundance of reptiles, such as snakes and lizards, as well as rodents like rats, squirrels and rabbits, supports a thriving population of eagles. Wildlife such as golden jackal, spotted deer, sambar deer, barking deer and porcupines, further demonstrates the area’s biodiversity.
“Establishing a mining operation in such a vital location cannot be justified,” says Raveendran, stressing the potential environmental consequences of mining in the ecologically sensitive region.
A protest at Alagar Malai, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu over tungsten block auction. Photo: By arrangement.
Historical importance of Arittapatti BHS
The site holds significant historical and archaeological importance, featuring numerous megalithic constructions, Jain Beds, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, and 2,200-year-old rock-cut temples. Among the notable water bodies is Anaikondan Lake, constructed in the 16th century during the rule of the Pandyas.
Key heritage sites in the region, including the Meenakshipuram Ovamalai Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and Jain beds, the Arittapatti Kazhinjamalai Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and Jain beds, the Mahavir sculpture, and the early Pandyan cave Shiva temple, have been designated as protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966.
According to the 2007 report Mankulam Excavation by the Department of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu, some cave inscriptions in Mankulam were first identified in 1882 by Robert Sewell and later revisited in 1906 by Francis and K.V. Subramanya Iyer. Additional inscriptions were recorded in 1906 and 1964. Among these discoveries are six early Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions from four caves on Ovamalai Hill. Dated to the 3rd century BCE, these inscriptions are considered among the earliest epigraphical findings in Tamil Nadu and provide valuable insights into the Sangam-era Pandyas.
The decision to lease an area of ecological, cultural, and historical significance to Hindustan Zinc Limited for tungsten mining has sparked widespread protests. On November 23, 2024, over 25 local panchayats passed resolutions opposing the mining project.
In response to the mounting public outcry, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 29, 2024, urging the cancellation of the tungsten mining award in Madurai district. In his letter, the chief minister emphasised the need to protect the sensitive region and requested that the Ministry of Mines revoke the mining rights granted to Hindustan Zinc Limited. He also called on the prime minister to ensure that no mining bids are floated in the future without the explicit consent of the concerned state government.
P. Moorthy, Minister for Commercial Tax and Registration speaking on the resolution passed by Arittapatti panchayat on November 23, 2024. Photo: By arrangement.
The Ministry of Mines, however, did not provide the expected response to the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s request. In its reply, the ministry claimed: “Inputs were taken from the Government of Tamil Nadu before the block was put up for auction. From February 2024, when the block was first auctioned until the declaration of the auction results on November 7, 2024, there was no communication from any party, including the State Government, regarding opposition to the auction. Nor did the State Government request the Central Government to remove the block from the auction process.”
“Economic development, including the growth of the mineral sector, must go hand in hand with the preservation of India’s archaeological, cultural, and natural heritage. The norms set by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and other relevant agencies are strictly followed to ensure this balance, and will continue to be adhered to in the case of the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten block,” the ministry further emphasised.
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Selvaraj, 44, an environmental activist from Kambur village in Melur Taluk, strongly rejects the ministry’s stance. “Environmental protection and mining cannot coexist,” he asserts.
“While our primary concerns are the environmental impact and the loss of livelihood, the involvement of the Vedanta company in this mining project adds another layer to our opposition. Our community still remembers the police firing that claimed 13 lives, as well as the environmental and health damages caused by Vedanta’s Sterlite factory in Thoothukudi, which violated environmental regulations,” he says.
S. Venkatesan, Madurai MP from CPI(M), expressed his concerns, stating, “The 2015.51-hectare tungsten mineral block acquired by Hindustan Zinc Ltd. in Melur Taluk holds immense environmental and historical significance. It includes Tamil Nadu’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site, Arittapatti, and features relics from the megalithic period, Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, Jain beds, and rock-cut temples. This region is also home to endangered species and crucial water sources. Mining in this heritage-rich area would cause irreversible damage to both its ecological and cultural heritage. I strongly urge the immediate revocation of the allocation to Hindustan Zinc Ltd. and the protection of this invaluable site.”
Venkatesan has also been actively participating in protests, declaring, “The people will not let even a handful of soil be taken away from Arittapatti.”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin speaking on the resolution moved in the legislative assembly against the tungsten mining project. Photo: By arrangement.
In response to the mining ministry’s reply, the Tamil Nadu government passed a resolution in its legislative assembly on December 9, urging the Union government to immediately revoke the tungsten mining rights granted to Hindustan Zinc Limited for the Nayakkarpatti village in Melur Taluk, Madurai district.
Speaking on the resolution, which was introduced by water resources and natural resources minister Duraimurugan, chief minister M.K. Stalin said, “For whatever reason, this project, which can be implemented by the Union government within Tamil Nadu, will not come to fruition; we will stop it.” The chief minister further added: “I have made it clear that I will not continue in this role, or as Chief Minister, if such a situation arises.”
