CPI condemns extension of permission for Kanniyakumari nuclear mining project

The Communist Party of India (CPI) has condemned the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to extend the land allotment permit granted to Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) for a 1,144-hectare nuclear mining project in Kanyakumari district by another year.

In a statement, party state secretary M. Veerapandian said that through this extension, the government provided the company with an opportunity to obtain environmental clearance and Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearance to proceed with the project. He further said that this situation threatens the coastal environment of Kanyakumari, groundwater, agriculture, livelihood of fishermen and the future of thousands of people.

He added that it was not right that the TVK government, which had come to power on an election promise to protect Tamil Nadu’s natural resources and environment, was trying to go in the opposite direction. He urged the government to immediately withdraw the GO issued to extend the land allotment permit.

Published – 04 Jul 2026 0:16 IST