MDSW-Kerala04

The coast sand dunes of Kerala are enriched with six prescribed minerals viz. ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite, leucoxene (brown ilmenite), sillimanite and garnet. The state government in a much controversial move decided to lease out a 17-km stretch of state owned land from Valiyazhikkal to Thottappilly in Alappuzha district to Kerala Rare Earths and Minerals Limited (KREML), a joint sector company, to conduct mineral sand mining for twenty years. In the present study, the researchers try to comprehend the situation prevailing in the area. The study further tries to assess the seriousness of the social, environmental and health hazards that might result from the indiscriminate mining activity by a profit oriented company. The paper also attempts to compile the history of similar mining projects, their environmental consequences, social implications and mass movements that were successful in checking the negative implications of such hazards.