Context: Tamil Nadu State Government has requested the Centre to cancel the tungsten mining rights awarded to a private company in Madurai district, considering the biodiversity heritage site in the proposed area. 

Nayakkarpatti Tungsten Block

• The Nayakkarpatti tungsten block comprises six villages, including Arittapatti in Madurai, which is a notified biodiversity heritage site.

• Location: Spread across 20.16 sq. km in Tamil Nadu, covering villages like Kavattayampatty, Ettimangalam, and Arittapatti.

• Critical Mineral: Tungsten is categorized as a critical and strategic mineral, essential for national development.

• Clearances Required: Mining can only proceed after obtaining forest and environmental clearances, excluding sensitive areas like biodiversity sites.

• Any mining activity will cause irreparable damage to these sites.

About Tungsten

• Tungsten is a critical component in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics.

• It is a rare and highly valued metal that is found naturally in the Earth’s crust.

• The major sources of tungsten are minerals scheelite (Calcium tungstate, CaWO4 ) and Wolframite [mixture of ferrous tungstate and manganous tungstate, (Fe,Mn)WO4 ] which are predominantly hydrothermal in origin.

Properties

• Tungsten has a melting point of 3422° C, the highest of all metals and is resistant to all acids at ordinary temperatures.

• It has good corrosion resistance, good thermal & electrical conductivity and low co-efficient of expansion.

• It is elastic, ductile and has high tensile strength and can be drawn into very thin wires.

• Tungsten is a critical component in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics

• Two primary mining methods: underground mining and open-pit mining.

• It is one of the ‘30 critical minerals’ identified by the Centre.

• Others are: Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.

Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site

• District: Madurai.

• Includes Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages.

• Ecological Importance:

• Home to 250 bird species, including Laggar Falcon, Shaheen Falcon, and Bonelli’s Eagle.

• Wildlife includes Indian Pangolin, Slender Loris, and Pythons.

• Water Resources:

• Notable waterbody: Anaikondan Lake, built during the Pandiyan era.

• Cultural Significance:

• Hosts megalithic structures, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, Jain beds, and rock-cut temples.

• Hillocks in Arittapatti village have rich biological significance with the presence of around 250 bird species, including 3 flagship Raptor species – Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger), Shaheen Falcon (Falco peregrines), and Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata).

• It is also famous for archaeological monuments, including cave temples, sculptures, Jain symbols, Tamil Brahmi scripts, and Pancha Pandavar stone beds.