New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking cancellation of tenders permitting offshore mining along the coast of Kerala, Gujarat, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Flagging the threat to marine life, the Congress leader said opening up offshore mining blocks to private players without any rigorous assessment of its impact was concerning.
“I write to you to strongly condemn the central government’s decision to permit offshore mining along the coast of Kerala, Gujarat, and Andaman & Nicobar,” he said in his letter to the Prime Minister.
Gandhi said coastal communities have been protesting against the manner in which tenders for offshore mining have been floated without evaluating its environmental impact.Millions of fisherfolk have expressed grave concerns about its impact on their livelihood and way of life, he said.
“I wrote to PM Modi to condemn the permission granted for offshore mining in Kerala, Gujarat, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands without consulting local stakeholders or conducting environmental studies ,” Gandhi said on his WhatsApp channel. mpost