December 15, 2012 Pioneer Edit
Thorium oxide pellets from BARC.

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/parliament-kept-in-dark-on-thorium-loot.htmlParliament kept in the dark on thorium loot

Mineral wealth looted

Author: pioneer

Government must stop illegal export of thorium

The large-scale loot of scarce mineral resources from the beaches of southern Tamil Nadu is shocking, to say the least. But what makes the theft even more outrageous is that this illegal export of natural resources which has already cost the country crores of rupees has happened with Government officials looking the other way. While it may be too late to retrieve what is lost, the Union Government must take immediate steps to clamp down on this illegal trade. It also must monitor the country's exports more closely. The sea beach along Manavalakurichi in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu has one of the world's largest deposits of ilmenite, garnet, zircon and rutile — heavy minerals that hold the key to India's energy security in the near future. More importantly, the beach also has monazite that contains thorium, which the Indian scientific community believes could eventually replace uranium as fuel for nuclear reactors. If that happens, India would no longer have to depend on uranium imports but could mine thorium from its own beaches to run its nuclear plants. However, given the alarming rate at which monazite is disappearing from our beaches, the country may not have much of this mineral left by the time power plants switch from uranium to thorium.

In fact, between 2002 and 2012, more than 2.1 million tonnes of monazite are believed to have gone missing from the Indian coastline —although anybody who has seen the boats ferrying bags of sand to ships anchored off the coasts of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari will agree that the actual figure is possibly much higher. The beach sand mining cartel in Tamil Nadu is reportedly run by a local businessman who holds 96 of the 111 garnet mining licences, and all 44 licences to mine ilmenite, among others. Interestingly, in 2006, most of the heavy minerals found in beach sands, such as ilmenite, garnet, zircon and rutile, were removed from the ‘atomic minerals’ list. Consequently, minerals that could previously only be mined by one public sector undertaking — Indian Rare Earths Limited — have now become available to private mining agencies. However, even in this case, monazite was excluded for its thorium value. According to guidelines framed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, those who processed beach sand were expected to separate monazite from the rest of the content and return it to the Department of Atomic Energy. But, not a single grain of monazite sand has been returned to the Department till date. To make matters worse, nobody within the Government really knows how much monazite is mined by the private operator and how much of it is shipped to foreign shores. Apparently, the figures that the private operator is required to report to the Government are all part of a “gentleman's agreement”, according to officials at Indian Rare Earths Ltd, who say they have no choice but to believe “what they tell us”. To complicate matters further, scientists believe that heavy mineral deposits often contain high levels of radioactive elements, and separating the two can be difficult. On its part, the Government is content in the belief that only delisted minerals are being exported by private companies while monazite is firmly under its control. That’s not apparently true.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/53014-mineral-wealth-looted.html

Comment

Kudos to Pioneer for the well-documented expose of the great thorium loot. Mining in placer sand complexes by private parties should be banned. All existing licences should be cancelled. Shah Commission recommendations on iron ore and manganese mining should apply mutatis mutandis to placer sand minerals to safeguard nation's mineral wealth. Paramilitary forces should be entrusted with the task of safeguarding placer sands along the coastline, containing minerals of national importance. DAE should re-introduce system of certification of radioactive monazite in placer sand mining operation and transport. Culprits involved in the great thorium loot should be brought to book. Will GOI and State govts. take immediate, firm, decisive steps when the whole world is waking up to thorium as the wonder nuclear energy fuel?

Kalyan

Cumulative list of blogposts with label 'Thorium' (December 15, 2012):

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/mineral-wealth-looted-pioneer-edit.html

Mineral wealth looted -- Pioneer Edit

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/goi-retain-list-of-atomic-minerals-of.html

GOI, retain the list of ATOMIC MINERALS of Act 67 of 1957 in the proposed NEW 2011 BILL

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/parliament-kept-in-dark-on-thorium-loot.html

Parliament kept in the dark on thorium loot - Rajya Sabha debate

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/thorium-loot-from-country-assurances-in.html

Thorium loot from the country: Assurances in Parliament of necessary action.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/norway-begins-four-year-test-of-thorium.html
Norway begins four year test of thorium nuclear reactor

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/parliament-bypassed-to-steal-rare.html

Parliament bypassed to steal rare atomic minerals

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/thorium-will-help-shape-chinas-energy.html

Thorium will help shape China’s energy future

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/thorium-has-risks-but-has-great.html

Thorium Has Risks, But Has Great Possibilities For Power Production

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/thorium-to-be-tested-in-working-nuclear.html

Thorium to be tested in a working nuclear reactor -- oilprice.com. GOI, protect India's thorium resources.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/peak-oil-security-policy-implications.html

Peak oil, security policy implications of scarce resources (Bundeswehr study, 2010)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/illegal-notification-of-18-jan-2006-on.html

Illegal notification of 18 Jan. 2006 on Atomic Minerals and loot of Rs. 96,120 Crores worth Atomic Minerals - Complaints

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/govt.html

Govt. of India should act now to stop illegal mining of Atomic Minerals

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/india-announces-plan-to-build-thorium.html

India announces plan to build thorium reactor. Congrats to India's nuclear scientists.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/letter-to-chairman-atomic-energy.html

Illegal mining of Atomic minerals worth Rs. 96,120 crores

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/submit-viewssuggestions-on-mines-and.html

Submit views/suggestions on Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill No. 110 of 2011

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/cause-and-effect-case-study-in-and.html

Cause and effect: a case study in and dossiers on Rare earths/Atomic Minerals of India

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/dae-cancel-and-withdraw-illegal.html

DAE, cancel and withdraw an illegal notification issued in January 2006.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/atomic-minerals-include-thorium-uranium.html

Atomic minerals include thorium, uranium, monazite, zircon, ilmenite, rutile and leucoxene (Part B of First Schedule of the Act 1957)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/pm-should-ban-placer-sands-mining.html

PM should ban placer sands mining, nationalise minerals of national importance consistent with Shah Commission recommendations on manganese/iron ore mining

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/11/our-nuclear-program-will-be-thorium.html

Our nuclear program will be thorium based - APJ Abdul Kalam

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/protection-of-thorium-other-rare-earth.html

Protection of thorium & other rare earth minerals - Swamy refutes DAE claims

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/our-policy-is-to-reprocess-all-fuel-put.html

‘Our policy is to reprocess all the fuel put into a nuclear reactor’ -- Sekhar Basu

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/protection-of-thorium-reserves-in.html

Protection of thorium and rare earth reserves in the country

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/cheap-nuclear-energy-is-illusion-kumar.html

Cheap nuclear energy is an illusion -- Kumar Chellappan

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/dae-press-release-xport-of-monazite.html

DAE Press release : Export of Monazite from India. India backtracks on involving private miners in monazite - Ajoy K Das

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/thorium-loot-no-private-parties.html

Thorium loot: No private parties permitted to produce monazite, says DAE

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/cheapabundant-very-safe-nuclear.html

Cheap,abundant & very safe nuclear power.....Thorium

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2012/10/protection-of-thorium-reserves-in_14.html

Protection of thorium reserves in the country

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/thorium-loot-spells-strategic-loss.html

Thorium loot spells strategic loss

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/kerala-metals-and-minerals-ltd-causing.html

Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd causing radiation: PIL

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/separation-of-monazite-from-placer.html

Separation of monazite from placer sands and strategic needs of India's energy programme.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/nuclear-thorium-country-needs-thorium.html

Nuclear Thorium: Country needs thorium-based fast breeders -- Dr. Kalam

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/near-monopoly-position-of-company-in.html

Near monopoly position of a company in garnet placer sands

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/estimated-value-of-thorium-loot-in.html

Estimated value of Manavalakurichi placer sands loot in a decade: Rs. 1 lakh crore

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/placer-sands-exports-detailed-in.html

Placer sands exports detailed in a Criminal Petition in Hon’ble Supreme Court

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/govt-misled-parliament-on-thorium-loot.html

Govt. misled Parliament on thorium loot. Thorium a game changer for India's power needs?

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/export-profiles-of-placer-sands-of.html

Power of Thorium - two books reviewed. 'Super Fuel':Martin. ‘Thorium: energy cheaper than coal’: Robert Hargraves

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/thorium-upas-new-coalgate.html

Thorium UPA's new coalgate?

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/how-far-off-is-thorium-energy-it-is.html

How far off is thorium energy? It is producing energy already -- in many reactors of India...

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/india-all-set-to-tap-thorium-resources.html

India all set to tap thorium resources

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/india-canada-nuke-pact-days-are-gone-we.html

India-Canada Nuke pact. "Those days are gone. We're not so stupid," Dr. Chaitanyamoy Ganguly, Nuclear scientist.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-to-transform-nuclear-power-pair.html Thorium to transform nuclear power. A pair of MIT students set up Transatomic Power

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/cumulative-list-of-blogposts-with-label.html

Cumulative list of blogposts with label "Thorium" (September 27, 2012). National imperative of protecting Rare earths including thorium.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-nuclear-fuel-and-iphone-are.html

Thorium -- a nuclear fuel and iPhone are born of Mother Earth. Govt. of India, conserve and protect rare earths including thorium.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/take-steps-to-protect-strategic.html

Take steps to protect strategic monazite reserves: Subramanian Swamy to PM

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-and-imperative-of-national.html

Thorium and imperative of national security - Dr. Swamy's letter to PM

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-as-strategic-mineral-greener.html

Thorium as strategic mineral: a greener alternative to uranium. India should protect her thorium reserves.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/dae-makes-strides-towards-thorium-fuel_1207.html

DAE makes strides towards thorium fuel supplies for AHWR

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-figures-unconfirmed-irel.html

‘Thorium figures unconfirmed’ - IREL

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/vver-voda-voda-energo-reactor-water.html

VVER: Voda Voda Energo Reactor, Water-cooled, water-moderated energy reactor

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/protect-india-thorium-to-transform.html

Protect India's thorium to transform the world of energy

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/a-future-energy-giant-indias-thorium.html

A future energy giant? India's thorium-based nuclear plans

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/india-should-enforce-nsg-guidelines-for.html

India should enforce NSG guidelines for protection of thorium

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/nuclear-energys-future-thorium.html

Nuclear Energy’s Future: Thorium

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/q-thorium-reactor-designer-ratan-kumar.html

Q&A: Thorium Reactor Designer Ratan Kumar Sinha

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-fuelled-dreams-for-indias_13.html

Thorium-fuelled dreams for India’s energy future. How India’s science is taking over the world.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-poster-source-thorium-australia.html

Thorium poster (Source: Thorium Australia campaign)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/briefings-on-nuclear-technology-in.html

Protect India's thorium. Briefings on nuclear technology in India -- PK Iyengar, Retd. Chairman, AEC, May 2009

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/new-all-party-uk-parliamentary-group-on.html

New All-Party UK Parliamentary Group on Thorium

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/china-takes-lead-in-race-for-clean.html

China Takes Lead in Race for Clean Nuclear Power -- using thorium.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/the-issue-is-india-as-nuke-power-anti.html

The issue is India as nuke power. Anti-Kudankulam leaders manipulate innocents - Pioneer Edit

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2012/09/india-ventures-into-rare-earths-to.html

India Ventures Into Rare Earths, To Launch Soon Monazite Processing Plant

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-is-nuclear-fuel-and-should.html

Thorium is nuclear fuel and should command immediate attention of GOI to conserve and protect the wealth of the nation.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-key-to-indias-energy-security.html

Thorium key to India’s energy security -- Sandhya Jain

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/india-plans-nuclear-plant-powered-by.html

Thorium advocates launch pressure group in UK. India plans nuclear plant powered bythorium - Guardian, UK

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/feature-article-thorium-reactor.html

Feature article: A Thorium Reactor (American Scientist, 2010)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-as-nuclear-fuel.html

Thorium As Nuclear Fuel

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thoriumgate-34-blogposts-seize-moment.html

Thoriumgate. 34 blogposts. Seize the moment to strengthen India's nuclear doctrine and energy future.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/is-thorium-biggest-energy-breakthrough.html

Is Thorium the Biggest Energy Breakthrough Since Fire? Possibly.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/are-beachfuls-of-thorium-sand-curse.html

Are beachfuls of thorium sand a curse? -- Rrishi Raote

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/why-should-foreign-companies-private.html

Why should foreign companies & private parties work in monazite placer deposits?

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/krisastha-koil-kundal-uvari.html

Karisastha koil, Kundal, Uvari

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-reactors-dr-y-federation-of.html

Thorium for dummies. Thorium reactors - Dr. Y (Federation of American Scientists)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/upas-thoriumgate-toyota-tsusho-enters_6.html

UPA's Thoriumgate? Toyota Tsusho enters the scene.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/monazite-reserves-of-india-18-million.html

Monazite reserves of India 18 Million Tonnes (A review of seabed and placer mining deposits in India by Abhineet Kumar (May, 2011. Dept. of Mining Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 2011)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-which-can-breed-uranium-233-is.html

Thorium which can breed uranium 233 is the future energy source for India. Rare earth elements; Indian rare earths -- Its genesis and growth (TK Mukherjee, IREL)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/proof-that-coir-was-used-to-export.html

Proof that coir was used to export thorium oxide in monazite. Now Toyota is inmonazite processing in India.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/wyoming-nuclear-task-force-hears.html

Wyoming nuclear task force hears thorium reactor plan

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/indian-rare-earths-genesis-and-growth.html

Indian rare earths: genesis and growth -- TK Mukherjee, IREL

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/who-looted-indias-missing-thorium.html

Who looted India’s missing thorium? -- Sandeep Balakrishna

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/after-coal-did-india-give-away-thorium.html

After coal, did India give away Thorium at pittance too?

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/great-thorium-robbery-impacting-india.html

Great thorium robbery impacting India's nuclear doctrine and energy security

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/67-years-nuclear-energy-nuclear.html

67 Years Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Destruction

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/15-billion-hole-in-ground-thorium-for.html

$15 billion hole in ground. Thorium for clean energy

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-reserve-in-country-narayanasamy.html

Thorium Reserve in the Country - Narayanasamy informs Lok Sabha

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-fuelled-dreams-for-indias.html

Thorium-fuelled dreams for India's energy future. How India's science is taking over the world.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/nuclear-materials-suppliers-group-nsg.html

Nuclear materials, suppliers group (NSG) and safeguards

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2012/08/depletion-of-thorium-reserves-from.html

Depletion of thorium reserves from South Indian beaches, impacting India's nucleardoctrine and energy security: 14 blogposts

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/black-monazite-sand-deposits-found-on.html

Black Monazite sand deposits found on beaches (India)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/thorium-fuel-cycle-potential-benefits.html

Thorium fuel cycle - potential benefits for India - IAEA publication (2005)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/thorium-alleged-export-of-sands-august.html

Thorium: alleged export of sands (August 2007 report)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/key-reserve-profiles-of-placer-deposits.html

Key reserve profiles of placer deposits: Chavara and Manavalakurichi (From Ph.D. thesis of Ajith G. Nair, 2001)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/valmikis-knowledge-of-oceanography-and.html

Valmiki's knowledge of oceanography and Mannar volcanic

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/mining-of-monazite-goi-response-in-lok.html

Mining of monazite (GOI response in Lok Sabha on 30 Nov. 2011)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/indian-rare-earths-limited.html

Indian Rare Earths Limited

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2012/08/vv-mineral-achievements.html

VV Mineral: achievements

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/theres-nuclear-gold-in-this-sand-and.html

There’s nuclear gold in this sand. And it’s being sent out with impunity – Tehelka

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/manavalakurichi.html

Manavalakurichi

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/irregularities-in-bureaucratic.html

Scam of the century involving Rs. 1340 billion thorium reserves. Irregularities inbureaucratic processes which led to encouragement of illegal mining of thorium

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/10-point-plan-nationalise-thorium.html

10-point plan: Nationalise thorium resources of India and institute strategic command for protecting and conserving Nuclear Fuel complexes

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/illegal-thorium-mining-in-india-value.html

Illegal thorium mining in India. Value of India’s thorium reserves: Rs. 1340 billion est.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/08/monday-august-13-2012-must-look-into.html

‘PM must look into illegal thorium mining’

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3900879694651725760#editor/target=post;postID=876222689095259079

Uranium Is So Last Century — Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke | Magazine