Tranche 7 withdraws Tamil Nadu mines to protect environment

Coal Insights Bureau

Ministry of Coal is now offering 103 coal blocks for commercial coal mines’ auction following withdrawal of all the 3 mines in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier the ministry had offered 106 coal blocks on March 29 but on April 6, 3 mines of Tamil Nadu – East of Sethiathope, Michaelpatti and Vadaseri – were withdrawn from the list as communicated by Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi following representations from political parties.

“In spirit of cooperative federalism & keeping in mind interest of people of TN, I have directed to exclude them from auction,” Joshi tweeted on April 6.

“In 2020, the state government of Tamil Nadu passed the Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Development Act 2020, which bans hydrocarbon extraction in 8 districts (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Karur and Tiruchy) in Tamil Nadu. These blocks called for auction in the Tender released by the Ministry of Coal are in the Protected Agricultural Zone. This law was enacted due to wide scale farmers’ protests in the Delta region of Tamil Nadu after the DMK government in 2011 signed up with Great Eastern Energy Corp for the exploration and later extraction of Coal bed methane from Manargudi. Though the East of Sethiathope, Michaelpatti & Vadaseri blocks were explored for coal reserves in the erstwhile UPA regime, the farmers in the Delta region have unanimously voiced against coal/ coalbed methane extraction from their region as it could affect the quality of groundwater and in turn, could affect agriculture in the Delta region,” a letter written by a political party handed over to Minister Joshi said.