Environmentalists seek protection of Palani hills from possible mining activities to extract Molybdenite
The petition submitted by a group of activists claimed that the Geological Survey of India, through their survey conducted over a period of 10 years, has learned that the Palani halls and nearby areas has rich presence of Molybdenite minerals.
However, the report already published about the presence of the minerals in Geological survey of India and Indian Minerals 2019 – Tamil Nadu Review was hidden from the public, said Mugilan, an environmental activist.
As the mineral possessed rich industrial value and as its presence has been found in an area sprawling about 1 lakh acre in the district, the Union government could any time issue an order for mining works, he added.
While the hill was one of the six important Murugan temples in the State, it also has rich biodiversity encompassing several varieties of flora and fauna, he noted.
Fearing about the destruction's direct impact on the people dependent on it, Mr. Mugilan compared it with the low-key tungsten survey which was conducted in the hills near Melur in Madurai.
'Only after the Union government released the order did people and even the politicians learn about the move of the government to mine the hills for tungsten,' he added.
A similar move could be expected here too, so, he appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to pass a resolution in the upcoming Assembly session as a precautionary measure to deny permission for accessing the hills for mining.
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