Mining Planned Inside ESZ of Bird Sanctuary

TAMIN proposes to remove nearly 40K tonnes of silica sand in 5 yrs; State Board for Wildlife yet to appraise proposal

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @ Chennai

In a move that could be detrimental to the environment, Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited (TAMIN) has proposed a new silica sand mine inside the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Kazhuveli wetland bird sanctuary in Villupuram, which is one of the biodiversity-rich Ramsar wetland sites.

According to official documents accessed by TNIE, an application seeking clearance from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) in this regard was submitted in March this year and is currently under process.