Protests erupt over Arittapatti mining move, villagers plan gram sabha resolution against scheme

MADURAI: Claiming that tungsten mining would be an ecological disaster for the whole locality, villagers in and around Arittapatti in Madurai registered their protest against the move on Thursday.

Hundreds of villagers from Arittapatti, Meenakshipuram, Chettiyarpatti, A Vallalapatti, Shanmuganathapuram, Naduvalavu, Therku Valavu, Ettimangalam and Kidaripatti decided to move a resolution against the mining scheme in the next grama sabha meeting.

Madurai CPM MP Su Venkatesan had earlier shot off a letter to Union Minister of Coal G Kishan Reddy stating that the 2015.51-hectare mineral block acquired by Hindustan Zinc Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Corporation, is located in a site of great environmental and historical importance and appealed for revoking the plan.

Over 193 hectares in Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram have already been declared as Tamil Nadu’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site on November 22, 2022. The entire Arittapatti village is a designated heritage area which falls within the 2015.51-hectare mineral block given clearance by the central government.

Referring to its historical significance, Su Venkatesan said that the mineral block up for auction encompasses some of TN’s most important historical landmarks. “It includes relics dating back 3,500 years. Traces can be found back to the megalithic period. 2,200-year-old Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, Jain beds, stone beds donated by the Sangam era Pandyas and rock-cut temples are also plentiful in the location. It is a site ideal for preserving unique aspects of TN’s history,” the Left leader pointed out.

The presence of 10 temples and a 200–year–old dargah makes it inappropriate for mining activity, the CPM member of Parliament said. Alagar Hills famous for its cultural and ecological heritage lies just one and a half kilometres from the boundaries of the mineral block, he pointed out. The boundaries of the mineral block also host contiguous hillocks forming a unique terrain crucial as a water source of the region, he added.

Over 72 lakes, 200 natural springs and three check dams are located in the region. It is home to several endangered species such as Laggar Falcon, Shaheen Falcon, Bonelli’s Eagle, Pangolins, Indian rock Pythons and Slender Lorises, it has been pointed out. Given the site’s unparalleled historical and ecological significance, the public opposed mining in the locality.