'New Technology for Mining Required in Populated Areas'

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  KSCSTE executive vice-president V N Rajasekharan Pillai inaugurating the workshop on mining policy in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday

New scientific technologies are needed to facilitate mining of high value, critical minerals in areas with high population density, observed Kerala IT and Industries Principal Secretary P H Kurien here on Friday.

He was speaking at a day-long workshop on ‘Scientific Mining Policy and Critical Minerals in Kerala’ organised jointly by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), State Planning Board (SPB) and the Department of Science and Technology at Hotel Mascot here. The primary objective is to help formulate a scientific mining policy for the extraction of minerals in a sustainable way.

“In parts of Kerala where rare and critical minerals are abundant, the density of population is also very high, making mining extremely difficult,” Kurien said.

“We need to find ways to scientifically extract materials such as titanium, bauxite and granite without causing inconvenience to local communities”.

He also felt that a proper legislation and clear policies has to be put in place in this regard.

KSCSTE executive vice-president V N Rajasekharan Pillai said Kerala had enough critical mineral resources to fulfil the state’s needs but the primary obstacle for  the scientific mining of invaluable resources was scarcity of land. He hoped that the workshop would generate ideas and suggestions for the creation of a new Critical Mining Research Institute to initiate R&D into new mining techniques.

Anuradha Balaram, member-secretary, State Planning Board welcomed the nearly 100 scientists from various state and Central institutions, universities and research centres who took part in the workshop.

The first technical session was chaired by K P Thrivikramji, chairman of the Expert Committee on Scientific Mining Policy. The Mining and Geology Department made a presentation on the mining scenario in the state while the KSCSTE presented the concept of the Critical Mining Research Institute.

Group discussions on critical minerals and minerals for construction and quarrying were held in the second technical session, which was chaired by STEC former chairman C G Ramachandran Nair.

The concluding session was chaired by K M Chandrasekhar, vice-chairman, State Planning Board. K P Thrivikramji, V N Rajasekharan Pillai and Planning Board Industry and Infrastructure division Chief Engineer N R Joy spoke.