NaMo governance should entrust mining of placer sands only to Indian Rare Earths Limited, a PSU under DAE to protect the world's richest nuclear resource of Indian coastline.
If thorium reserves deplete without adequate safeguards protecting the reserves, India can say goodbye to thorium-based nuke doctrine for the nation.
If India wants to enter the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, effective action should be in place to protect the nation's placer sands which contain rare earths and atomic minerals. India has the world's largest reserves of thorium-containing sands which should become the bedrock of the nation's thorium-based nuke doctrine.
Exploration activities carried out by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has resulted in establishing 3.74 million tones of Monazite in Andhra Pradesh which contains about 3,36,600 tonnes of thorium oxide equivalent to 2,96,000 tonnes of thorium metal.
These reserves are explored and established.
These reserves are explored and established.
Instead of entering into an MOU with IREL a PSU under Dept. of Atomic Energy, an MOU was signed with a private party on 30.12.2006.
This MOU should be annulled forthwith to conserve the rich thorium reserves of Bhimunipatnam, AP and adjoining coastal sands.
DAE notification of 18 January 2016 declaring atomic minerals under OGL should also be annulled since the Mines Act which lists atomic minerals has NOT been amended and since the Noifn. is thus illegal providing a cover for exporting atomic minerals.
Excerpt from AP gov. website:
Item3:
M/s. VV Minerals, Chennai also evinced interest to form Joint Venture with the Corporation for mining and mineral separation of Heavy Mineral Beach Sands at a Project outlay of Rs. 75 crores and also establishment of value added unit based on the deposits at a Project outlay of Rs. 1,500 crores in Srikakulam District over an extent of 14.78 sq. kms. Accordingly the Corporation entered into an agreement with M/s. V.V. Minerals Pvt. Ltd., on 30.12.2006 as approved by the GoAP.