PARLIAMENT QUESTION: BEACH SAND MINERALS

Department of Atomic Energy

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: BEACH SAND MINERALS

Posted On: 01 APR 2026 7:48PM by PIB Delhi The details of state and district-wise production of raw Beach Sand Minerals (BSM) and total value-added BSM (Total Heavy Minerals) in the country during the last five years are given in table- Financial State District Raw Sand Total Heavy Production (tonne) Minerals (tonne) Year FY2021-22 Odisha Ganjam 3999755 341450 Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari 772866 63536 Kerala Kollam 771189 137528 FY2022-23 Odisha Ganjam 4354899 367493 Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari 682256 54366 Kerala Kollam 897025 151242 FY2023-24 Odisha Ganjam 6017990 375402 Financial State District Raw Sand Total Heavy Production (tonne) Minerals (tonne) Year Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari 916175 60784 Kerala Kollam 1182251 145655FY2024-25 Odisha Ganjam 6370502 397778 Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari 713714 60899 Kerala Kollam 1198251 173685 FY2025-26 Odisha Ganjam 5785825 411869 (till Feb, Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari 680511 41865

2026) Kerala Kollam 1526689 147913 Total production during last 5 years 35869898 2931465 As per records available, total production of raw Beach Sand Minerals (BSM) and total value- added BSM (Total Heavy Minerals) is Nil during the last five (05) years in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

The Union Budget 2026-27 made an announcement to support the mineral-rich States of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish dedicated Rare Earth Corridors to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing, thus, aligning these initiatives with the national priorities of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Net Zero 2070, and Viksit Bharat @2047, while positioning India as a key player in global advanced materials value chains.

As per the provisions under Section (5) of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957

(MMDR), mining of atomic minerals (i.e. BSM in this case) equal to or above the threshold values (i.e.

0.00% monazite in Total Heavy Minerals, vide Ministry of Mines notification No. GSR134(E) dated

20.02.2019) shall be carried out only by the Government Company/Corporation, owned or controlled by the Government.

Section 23C of the MMDR Act, 1957 empowers the State Governments to make rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith.

As regards illegal exports of BSM, Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India issued Notification No. 26/2015-2020 dated

21.08.2018 on export policy on BSM under which export of BSM has been brought under State Trading Enterprise and shall be canalized through IREL (India) Limited (IREL).

As regards promoting domestic beneficiation capability, IREL has been mandated to mine and process the heavy mineral sands which includes rare earth bearing mineral viz. monazite in India. In addition, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), a State Public Sector Enterprise (SPSE) under Government of Kerala also undertakes similar activity. IREL has been operating in three locations having the facility for integrated mining and processing of heavy mineral sands and a facility each for extraction and refining of Rare Earths. IREL possesses the requisite expertise across integrated mining, mineral separation, REE extraction and refining. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy collaborates with IREL to develop necessary technologies pertaining to processing of rare earths.This information given by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today on 1st April, 2026, Wednesday.

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