CPI(M) Slams Deep-Sea Mining Policy, Calls for Immediate Rollback

Madurai: The 24th Party Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the Government of India’s deep-sea mining policy, warning that it endangers marine ecosystems, undermines the livelihoods of millions of fishers, and prioritizes corporate profits over people and environment.
The Party Congress has taken serious exception to the Offshore Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, as amended in 2023, which opens India’s deep-sea resources to private plunder. Under the previous framework, joint inspections by government agencies like the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Indian Bureau of Mines, and Atomic Minerals Directorate were mandatory. The amended Act now permits private companies to engage in exploration, raising serious concerns about unchecked exploitation, weakened regulatory oversight, and erosion of state authority.
In particular, the CPI(M) flagged the total centralization of royalties from offshore mineral resources, sidelining state governments. The party also warned that the policy jeopardizes the viability of Kerala's public sector rare minerals units, which rely on mineral sands naturally deposited along the coast.
Environmentalists’ alarm over this policy has been echoed in the resolution, which points out that deep-sea mining operations generate sediment plumes and toxic wastewater containing heavy metals, posing grave long-term risks to marine biodiversity. The resolution warns that such actions threaten to destabilize the marine ecosystem, weaken natural barriers against tsunamis and cyclones, increase coastal erosion, and disturb sediment balances vital for marine life. There is also concern about the release of stored carbon from the ocean floor, potentially worsening global warming.
Of particular concern is the threat to fisheries, a key livelihood source for millions. The depletion of marine resources is already an issue, and the CPI(M) has warned that deep-sea mining would significantly aggravate this crisis. The first phase of mining targets the Kollam Banks, a rich fishing zone in Indian waters, sparking widespread protests. In Kerala, fishers across political affiliations have united in opposition, and the Kerala State Legislature has passed a unanimous resolution rejecting the sea sand mining plan.
Calling the policy “a disaster waiting to unfold,” the 24th Party Congress of the CPI(M) has demanded that the Central Government immediately abandon its deep-sea mining initiative to protect the environment, uphold the rights of coastal communities, and preserve national ecological interests.