A few months ago, the government of Tamil Nadu order a probe to check for any irregularities in the mining industry. These pertained to the extraction of beach minerals in the state and suspended operations till its completion. A senior official from the state U Sagayam had been asked by a court to investigate illegal graphite mining in Tamil Nadu. However the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government.

1. No Illegal Mining in TN, the Actual Truth
on the Heavy Mineral Mining Scenario in
India: VV Mineral Explains
A few months ago, the government of Tamil Nadu
order a probe to check for any irregularities in the
mining industry. These pertained to the extraction of
beach minerals in the state and suspended operations
till its completion. A senior official from the state U
Sagayam had been asked by a court to investigate
illegal graphite mining in Tamil Nadu. However the
Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the
Tamil Nadu government.
Mining is a difficult business in India. Prior to our
nation’s independence, heavy mineral mining was
controlled by a government based company named
Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL). From the 1980,
beach sand mining was open to the private sector.
Companies were however not allowed to extract
monazite.
In that time, there were about three to four private
firms that have started misusing the beach sand
minerals in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and

2. Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu. This was
mostly for garnet and Ilmenite contents.
Heavy minerals in India are found in the coastal areas
on the beach surfaces washed off from the waves in
the ocean. This is particularly found on the coasts of
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu. This is also
found on the east coast of Kerala and Maharashtra.
There are about 5-6 minerals that are found in great
number on the Indian shores namely
garnet,ilmenite,rutile,zicron and Sillimanite in different
percentages.
The percentage of minerals found on one coast may
vary from another coast. For example, the beach sand
of Tamil Nadu has higher percentage of garnet than
that of Kerala who have higher percentage of
Ilmenite.
The IREL wholly directed their attention towards the
mining activities in Kanyakumari and Kollam in Tamil
Nadu and Kerala respectively. They mainly focused on
the retrival and improvement of Ilmenite mining, zicron
mining and monazite. Monazite is a cerium phosphate
used to extract Thorium and cerium oxides after 2/3
stages of processing. The IRE was also selling garnet
in the domestic market.

3. The following allowances and clearances are required
in order to set up mining operations and processing
plants for beach sand minerals in India:
1. State Government - Grant of mining lease for 30
years.
2. Indian Bureau of mines - Approval of mining plans
3. Pollution Control Board -
(a). Environment Clearances
(b). Consent for Establishment
(c). Consent for Operation
4. State Coastal Zone Management, Authority and
Ministry of environment and forests
VV Minerals are one of the big heavy mineral mining
companies that have got all the necessary
permissions for setting up processing plants. The
organization also wallow in the heavy mineral mining
of garnet.
The organization is a family grown grown business
and the chairman of the company is Mr. S.
Vaikundarajan. They are the biggest manufacturers of
Garnet and have been awarded for the same.

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