The Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC) has urged the Centre to repeal the proposed amendments to the Offshore Area Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, in view of the serious impact on the marine and coastal ecosystems.
Speakers at a meeting convened by the Coastal Area Development Agency for Liberation (CADAL), an initiative of KRLCC, here on Tuesday feared that mining for minerals in offshore areas could affect marine fish stocks and the coastal equilibrium, jeopardising the livelihood of traditional fishermen and their families.
Chairman, CADAL, Bishop James Anaparambil presided over the meeting. KRLCC general secretary Father Thomas Tharail, CADAL general secretary Joseph Jude, and director Sabas Ignatius, were among those who addressed the gathering.
The government clarified that the amendments were aimed at promoting public-private partnership ventures to exploit the huge mineral resources estimated at 79 million tonnes of mineral wealth, 1,53,996 million tonnes of lime mud, and 745 million tonnes of sands in the territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone, and other maritime zones of India.
