Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Modi, calls for offshore mining tenders to be cancelled

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that offshore mining projects along the coasts of Kerala, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands be cancelled.

Gandhi said that opening up offshore mining blocks to private players “without any rigorous assessment of its impact” was a matter of concern. The Congress leader said studies pointed to the threat to marine life by such projects and accused the government of “willfully greenlighting activities without a scientific assessment”.

Gandhi that the Offshore Areas Mineral Development and Regulation Amendment Act, 2023 was met with “strong objections”. He said that projects such as the ones that have been proposed could damage coral reefs and deplete fish stocks.

“In this backdrop, when the Ministry of Mines invited tenders for grant of license for 13 offshore blocks, protests erupted against this arbitrary move,” he said in the letter to Modi.

Gandhi expressed concerns about proposals for mining construction sand on the coast of Kollam in Kerala, which is a vital fish breeding habitat, and for polymetallic nodules off the coast of the Great Nicobar islands – a marine biodiversity hotspot.

Polymetallic nodules and crusts are mineral deposits in the ocean that are rich in metals like lithium, cobalt,...

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