In a significant policy shift, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has officially prohibited private entities from mining sand containing atomic minerals. This decision, formalized through a gazette notification on July 27, 2019, reserves the rights for exploration and mining of such minerals exclusively to government agencies.
The notification emphasizes that only the government, its companies, or agencies are authorized to undertake exploration and mining activities in both offshore and onshore areas where atomic minerals are present. This move is particularly pertinent to states like Tamil Nadu, which have faced controversies over illegal beach sand mining.
Prior to this, in February 2019, the government had amended regulations to set the threshold value of monazite—a primary source of thorium used in nuclear applications—to zero. This effectively meant that any beach sand containing monazite was classified as above the threshold, thereby restricting its mining to government entities.
The DAE’s decision aims to safeguard national interests by preventing unauthorized extraction and potential export of strategic minerals crucial for defense and nuclear sectors. Environmentalists and local communities have welcomed this move, anticipating better protection of coastal ecosystems and stricter regulation of mineral resources.
