Declaring Arittapatti protected agriculture zone key to block tungsten mining move, says farmer leader

MADURAI: Hailing the State government's decision to adopt a resolution in the Assembly against the Arittapatti tungsten mining project in Madurai, PR Pandian, president of the coordination committee of All Farmers Association of Tamil Nadu, urged the DMK regime to declare the proposed site a 'protected agricultural zone.'

The demand came as the Stalin-led government declared that a resolution would be moved against the central government's approval to set up tungsten mining in Madurai.

The ruling DMK is confident of passing it on December 9.

After inspecting some of the sites earmarked for the proposed mining project at Arittapatti, a village in Melur taluk, the farmer leader urged the importance of agriculture, aside from heritage and biodiversity, on Saturday.

The State government's move is key to protecting 48 villages, including Arittapatti, he said.

By declaring the region a ‘protected agriculture zone,’ the government can conserve agricultural activity and peoples' livelihoods, he added.

He said that if the Centre's policy decision is published in the Gazette, farmers will launch a series of protests and appealed to the Union government to follow the State government’s upcoming resolution.

Further talking to reporters, Pandian said all 48 villages are nestled beneath seven hills, and most of the villagers and the economy are predominantly rural, relying chiefly on subsistence farming.

Any impact on agriculture would affect economic resources. More importantly, Arittapatti, which the State government declared TN's first ‘Biodiversity Heritage Site,’ boasts a wealth of ancient and historic significance, with megalithic structures, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, and Jain beds.

Despite historical, economic, and biodiversity significance, the central government is trying to hand over the land to Vedanta for this mining project, said PR Pandian.