Tungsten Mining Threatens Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site

Location: Madurai district, Tamil Nadu

• Focus on Melur taluk with the Arittapatti biodiversity heritage site.

Issue:

• Union government granted tungsten mining rights in eight blocks to Hindustan Zinc (a subsidiary of Vedanta) in November 2024.

Protests:

• Sustained protests by residents since the announcement.
• Concerns raised over the impact on land, lives, and livelihoods.

Environmental Concerns:

• Threat to the Arittapatti biodiversity heritage site, a key ecological area.

Tungsten:

• PART D: Critical and Strategic Minerals
  • Part D of the First Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 is a list of 24 critical and strategic minerals.
  • Tungsten is extracted from several ore minerals, including wolframite, scheelite, and ferberite.

The controversy highlights the tension between resource exploitation for economic gain and preserving local environments and communities’ well-being.

Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) Overview:

Definition and Characteristics

• BHS: Well-defined areas that are unique and ecologically fragile.
  • Include terrestrial, coastal, inland waters, and marine ecosystems.
  • Rich in biodiversity, comprising specific components such as habitats, flora, and fauna.

Legal Framework

• Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (Section 37):
  • State Governments, in consultation with local bodies, can notify areas of biodiversity importance as BHS.
  • State Governments, with the Central Government, can frame rules for management and conservation.

Role of National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)

• Functions:
  • Advises State Governments in the selection and management of BHS.
• Nature: Autonomous and statutory body under MoEFCC.
• Establishment: Created in 2003 to implement the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
• Headquarters: Chennai.
• Status: As of February 2024, India has 45 BHS.

Criteria for Identification of BHS

1. Biodiversity Features:
   • Natural, semi-natural, and man-made habitats with significant life forms.
2. Domesticated Biodiversity:
   • Areas with agro-ecosystems and ongoing agricultural practices.
3. Cultural Importance:
   • Sacred groves, sacred trees, and other culturally significant spaces.
4. Ecological Function:
   • Refuge or corridors for threatened and endemic species.
   • Urban greens, wetlands, or community-conserved areas.
5. Land Use:
   • Government, community, or private land uses not covered under the Protected Area network (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972).
6. Seasonal Habitats:
   • Feeding and breeding grounds for migratory species.
7. Research and Conservation:
   • Preservation plots by Forest Department research wings.
   • Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas.

Significance

Serve as vital ecological and cultural spaces contributing to conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable practices.