Offshore mining: Kerala MPs demand impact study

Responding to questions, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 itself has adequate provisions to address environmental concerns. He also said that the Centre had held consultations with stakeholders.

The Centre launched the country’s first tranche of e-auction of 13 offshore blocks in November last year. Of the 13 blocks, three are off the Kerala coast, three off Gujarat, and seven in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The proposed lease is for 50 years.

Kerala has been witnessing protests over proposed mining, with MPs and legislators even staging a protest in the national Capital against the move. Earlier this month, the state Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to drop the offshore mining plan.

Speaking during Question Hour, Venugopal pointed out that the government has started the tender procedure without conducting a proper environmental study. “When the Government is taking a decision, at least, they should consult the stakeholders. When it comes to offshore mining, the fisher folk are one of the major stakeholders. Nobody consulted the fishermen; nobody consulted the experts. Without doing that study, how can the Government go for that?” he asked.

He wondered the logic behind the government’s explanation that the company that gets the tender would do the EIA. He also pointed out that the study report of the Cochin Fisheries University along with the Aquatic Department has found that the mining would affect fish breeding very severely.

Demanding an impact study, Venugopal said he had also written to the Prime Minister on this. “The Government has to come forward with serious action to stop this mining activity,” he said.

Revolutionary Socialist Party MP from Kollam N K Premachandran said that the proposed area for mining is 342 sq km of sea area, 32 to 61 nautical miles from the coastal area of Quilon Bank (among the highly productive fishing grounds along the country’s south-west coast). “In such a situation, how can it be done without conducting an environmental impact assessment,” Premachandran said.

MoS Singh said consultation had taken place before the 13 blocks for offshore mining were identified. “The consultative process has happened with the State Governments and various Central Ministries concerned, and the same was done at various stages at the time of the amendment in the Act itself. The offshore mining blocks have been carefully selected, ensuring that these protected areas and fishing areas remain unaffected,” Singh said.

“Adequate provisions are there in the Act and also in the rules to address environmental concerns and these concerns will be addressed when they arise.”