Govt extends approval for IREL's nuclear mining project in Kanniyakumari

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has extended by one year the reservation approval granted to Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) for its proposed nuclear mineral mining project across 1,144 hectares in Kanniyakumari district.

The extension, issued through a Government Order (GO) on June 10, 2026, has triggered strong opposition from environmental organisations, which have demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order, alleging that it paves the way for the controversial mining project to secure final statutory clearances.

On the day the approval was set to expire, the state government issued an order extending the reservation period by another year under Section 17A (4) of the Mines and Minerals Act. The extension now allows IREL additional time to obtain the mandatory Environmental Clearance and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance required for executing a mining lease and commencing operations.

Environmental organisation Poovulagin Nanbargal has strongly condemned the decision and called upon the government to revoke the GO, arguing that it effectively revives a project that has faced widespread public opposition in the coastal region of Kanyakumari.

According to the organisation, the Union Ministry of Mines had granted reservation approval for the project on June 11, 2021. Under the MMDR Act, IREL was required to obtain all statutory clearances and execute a mining lease with the state government within the validity period of the reservation.

The company had applied for Environmental Clearance in 2023 and received Terms of Reference for preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment report. A public hearing scheduled for October 1, 2024, in Kanyakumari was later cancelled following protests from residents and environmental activists.

Subsequently, IREL applied for CRZ clearance before the Tamil Nadu State CRZ Authority on July 22, 2025. Later, on September 8, 2025, the Union Ministry of Environment exempted mining projects involving critical and atomic minerals from mandatory public hearings, removing a major procedural hurdle for the project.

With the reservation approval nearing expiry, IREL sought a one-year extension from the Tamil Nadu Government through a letter dated January 31, 2026. While the previous DMK government did not decide on the request. The Director of Geology and Mining recommended the extension on April 16, 2026, and the new government ultimately approved it on June 10, 2026.

Poovulagin Nanbargal has questioned the timing and legality of the decision, noting that the MMDR Act requires the government to decide on such requests within three months. The organisation pointed out that the request remained pending for nearly five months before being approved.

The group also highlighted that TVK, following the government's decision to extend the reservation approval, environmental activists have renewed their demand for the withdrawal of the GO and urged the state government to honour its earlier commitment to protecting Kanniyakumari's natural resources and coastal ecology.