Government Cancels Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Auction to Safeguard Heritage Sites

Synopsis

The Union Ministry of Mines has decided to annul the auction of the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten mineral block in Tamil Nadu to protect the region's heritage areas, following discussions with local leaders. The decision reflects the government's commitment to preserving biodiversity and traditional rights.

Key Takeaways

The Nayakkarpatti Tungsten auction was cancelled to protect heritage sites.
The Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site is included in the mineral block.
Discussions involved the Ambalakarars community leaders from Madurai.
This block was part of eight critical mineral blocks auctioned in November 2024.
The auction included strategic minerals like tungsten and cobalt.

New Delhi, Jan 23 (NationPress) The Union Ministry of Mines officially declared on Thursday that the government has opted to cancel the auction for the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten mineral block located in Tamil Nadu in order to safeguard the heritage area.

This decision followed a meeting on Thursday with a delegation of Ambalakarars (traditional community leaders) from the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, held with Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, in his office at the Ministry of Mines in the national capital.

The Ambalakarars informed the Minister that the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten mineral block encompasses the Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site along with several other cultural heritage locations.

According to the Ministry's statement, "After thorough discussions, taking into account the significance of the Biodiversity Heritage Site in the region and the Government of India’s commitment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards preserving traditional rights, it has been resolved to annul the auction of Nayakkarpatti Tungsten mineral block."

"During the meeting on January 22, the Ambalakarars urged the Union Minister to revoke the auction for the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten block. The Union Minister listened attentively to the delegation and affirmed that the Union Government is fully supportive of biodiversity heritage protection," the statement continued.

The Ministry of Mines also noted in a press release dated December 24 that numerous representations have been received against the auction, citing the presence of a Biodiversity Heritage Site within the block’s area.

The tungsten block in Tamil Nadu was part of eight critical mineral blocks, which were successfully auctioned in November 2024.

This auction cycle notably marked the first successful auction of a tungsten block and two cobalt blocks. These strategic minerals are crucial for high-tech, defense, and energy storage applications, contributing to a decrease in import dependency.

The Tranche IV auction has also opened doors for the North-East in India’s mineral auction framework, with four new blocks successfully auctioned in Arunachal Pradesh. Besides the tungsten block in Tamil Nadu, the other four blocks are located in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.