Mining of atomic, strategic minerals exempted from public consultations: Govt

New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has decided to exempt mining proposals related to atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from the requirement of public consultations, citing national defence and security needs. The directive was issued through a fresh office memorandum (OM).

According to the order, the exemption comes after requests from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). While such projects will no longer undergo public hearings, they will be subject to detailed examination by sector-specific expert appraisal committees and considered only at the central level, regardless of the project size.

The ministry referred to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, which already allows exemptions for projects tied to defence and strategic concerns.

“All mining projects of atomic minerals notified in Part B, and critical and strategic minerals notified in Part D of the First Schedule of the MMDR Act, shall be exempted from Public Consultation…and will be appraised at the Central level irrespective of the lease area involved in the proposal,” the OM stated. Public consultation under the EIA framework typically requires hearings to address concerns of local communities and written feedback from stakeholders likely to be affected by a project’s environmental impact.

In its August 4 request, the Defence Ministry argued that rare earth elements are vital to the defence sector, pointing to their use in surveillance systems, radar, sonar, navigational aids, communication tools, armoured vehicles, and precision-guided weapons. It added that India’s limited reserves, combined with global supply concentration, pose a “huge supply risk” and necessitate a secure domestic supply.

Similarly, in a letter dated August 29, the DAE stressed the role of thorium derived from monazite, a beach sand mineral, in India’s third-stage atomic energy programme. It noted the need to expand production of thorium and uranium by operationalising new deposits and asked for exemption from public hearings for such projects.

The decision follows a series of measures aimed at fast-tracking approvals for mining critical minerals. Earlier this year, the government created a separate clearance category for such minerals on its Parivesh portal and amended the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, to streamline forest approvals.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023, lists atomic and strategic minerals to encourage their exploration and extraction, reinforcing the Centre’s push for self-reliance in key resources.mpost