Thousands of villagers and farmers protested on January 7 against tungsten mining rights granted by the union government in a heritage site in Madurai district. The protestors rallied from Melur to Tallakulam, on the National Highway that connects Chennai and Madurai, despite the police having denied permission to protest.
Traffic on the four-lane-highway has been affected.
The union government had, in November 2024, granted mining rights to Hindustan Zinc Limited for a site in Nayakkarpatti village in Melur taluk, Madurai district. Earlier, in 2022, the site was declared a biodiversity heritage site. Apart from housing several rare species, the site also has historical significance as it houses cave temples, Jain temples, Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and Panchapandavar beds.
After the union government granted mining rights, the state government opposed the decision. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly also passed a resolution on December 9, urging the Union government to cancel mining rights in Nayakkarpatti village. Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K Annamalai also wrote to the union government, asking them to cancel the mining rights.