Tungsten Trouble: Why Tamil Nadu And Centre Are At Loggerheads Over Mining Rights In Arittapatti

The political storm is brewing once again between the centre and Tamil Nadu, this time over the contentious issue of tungsten mining rights at Arittapatti, near Madurai.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has thrown down the gauntlet, vehemently opposing the union government’s move, declaring that no mining—tungsten or otherwise—will be allowed in the area.

Through a series of letters and now tweets, Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke the mining rights for the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Block, stressing that no bids should be floated without the State’s explicit consent.

To recap, the Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Block, covering an area of 20.16 sq km and spanning villages like Kavattayampatty, Meenakshipuram, Ettimangalam, and Arittapatti, among others, was put up for auction in February 2024. The block was awarded to Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL), a subsidiary of the Vedanta Group, on 7 November.

Tungsten, also known as 'wolfram,' is a metal of strategic importance and crucial for the industrial development of any country.

Used across industries—from semiconductors and consumer electronics to aerospace and medical devices—tungsten is prized for its high density and its ability to withstand high temperatures, according to the Plansee Group, an Austria-based tungsten processing company.

Despite its critical role, India remains fully reliant on imports and recycling to meet its tungsten demand, as the country lacks domestic production of tungsten ore and concentrates.

State's Stance

In his letter, Stalin underlined that the mining block included a biodiversity heritage site in Arittapatti village and that any mining activity in the region would cause “irreparable damage" to these sites.

Arittapatti, a notified biodiversity heritage site, is not just ecologically significant but also rich in archaeological monuments, including cave temples, sculptures, Jain symbols, Tamil Brahmi scripts, and the Pancha Pandavar stone beds.

Stalin further highlighted the dire consequences for local communities, asserting that commercial mining in these densely populated villages would “definitely affect the people in these villages.”

“This decision has caused immense anguish,” he added, expressing that the people fear losing their homes and heritage forever.

Political Showdown

The tungsten mining controversy at Arittapatti has quickly escalated into a political battle between Tamil Nadu’s ruling government and opposition, with each side trading sharp barbs.

Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Water Resources and Natural Resources revealed that concerns about auctioning critical and strategic minerals were officially raised as early as 3 October last year, through a letter.

In response, the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal, and Mines dismissed these concerns in a 2 November reply, mentioning that the auction of critical minerals cannot be withheld in the "larger interests" of the country.

The centre did consult the Tamil Nadu government for inputs, including land details, before auctioning the Nayakkarpatti block. In response, the state government pointed out that there was a biodiversity heritage site in the proposed area.

The block was auctioned as a composite license, meaning it is partially explored, and the successful bidder must conduct further exploration before a mining lease is granted. Necessary forest and environmental clearances are required, and areas not approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) are excluded from mining.

Despite these assurances, Tamil Nadu’s claims about the ecological impact seem increasingly unfounded.

What remains puzzling is the timeline: why didn’t the state government raise objections to the auction between February, when the process began, and 7 November, when it concluded?

In an even more surprising twist, the Mines Ministry has claimed it received no communication from any quarter, including the state government, opposing the sale.

“Since February 2024, when the block was first put to auction, till the declaration of the result of the auction on November 7, there was no communication from any quarter, including the state government, regarding any opposition to the auction. Nor did the state government request the central government to drop the block from auction,” the ministry said.

The mounting contradictions have left many questioning whether the environmental argument is truly genuine or if it’s simply a political move designed to gain favour with local constituents after the auction results were declared.

Chequered Record

Even if we set aside the procedural fine print, Tamil Nadu's environmental argument against tungsten mining at Nayakkarpatti seems to crumble under scrutiny. While the state raises alarms about the ecological impact, its own troubling track record on illegal sand mining tells a very different story.

Over the past few years, illegal sand mining under the state's watch has caused losses totalling Rs 4,730 crore. With Tamil Nadu's Public Works Department directly controlling sand quarries, critics highlight what they see as a glaring double standard.

But that's not all—there's more to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government’s handling of the tungsten mining proposal than meets the eye.

In October 2023, the DMK government sought permission from the union government to mine not just tungsten, but also molybdenum, in collaboration with private companies—only to face fierce local opposition.

Opposition parties have jumped at the chance, accusing the ruling DMK of ‘duplicity’ and claiming that while the government initially supported the project, it is now trying to distance itself only after local communities voiced their objections.

In a new twist to the saga, it has recently emerged that Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited (TAMIN), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), was granted a quarry lease for granite over 47.37 hectares in Arittapatti Village, Melur Taluk, back in 2008 for a 30-year period.

Though TAMIN later proposed to surrender the lease, one can't help but wonder: What changed between then and now, leading Arittapatti Village to strongly oppose tungsten mining?

With the Tamil Nadu government reportedly set to introduce a special resolution in the State Legislative Assembly on 9 December, demanding the cancellation of tungsten mining rights, the political drama is set to intensify.

The question remains: How will this unfold, and what will its consequences be for India's ambitions of self-sufficiency in critical minerals?