Lok Sabha Question No. 6029 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Beach Sand Minerals
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6029

## ANSWERED ON 01/04/2026

## BEACH SAND MINERALS

## 6029. SHRI TANGELLA UDAY SRINIVAS

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) the total production of raw Beach Sand Minerals (BSM) in the country particularly in Andhra Pradesh including Kakinada during the last five years, year, State and Districtwise;
- (b) total production of value-added BSM including ilmenite, rutile, zircon and rare earth concentrates during said period, year, State and district-wise for Andhra Pradesh;
- (c) whether Government has formulated a comprehensive strategy for developing end-toend value addition chains for BSM  and  titanium from mining to advanced manufacturing;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including schemes, funding pattern and projects proposed in coastal States such as Andhra Pradesh;
- (e) whether private entities are permitted to mine and process BSM and if so, the quantity and value produced by them;
- (f) the details of safeguards put in place to curb illegal mining and exports; and
- (g) the measures taken by the Government to promote domestic beneficiation, technology acquisition and strategic capacity building in the BSM sector?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a)& (b):  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 Year   | State      | District    |   Raw Sand Production (tonne) |   Total Heavy Minerals (tonne) |
|------------------|------------|-------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 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 Year                       | State                                | District                             |   Raw Sand Production (tonne) |   Total Heavy Minerals (tonne) |
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|                                      | Tamil Nadu                           | Kanyakumari                          |                        916175 |                          60784 |
|                                      | Kerala                               | Kollam                               |                       1182251 |                         145655 |
| FY2024-25                            | Odisha                               | Ganjam                               |                       6370502 |                         397778 |
| FY2024-25                            | Tamil Nadu                           | Kanyakumari                          |                        713714 |                          60899 |
| FY2024-25                            | 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 | Total production during last 5 years | Total production during last 5 years |                      35869898 |                        2931465 |

As per records available, total production of raw Beach Sand Minerals (BSM) and total valueadded BSM (Total Heavy Minerals) is Nil during the last five (05) years in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

- (c) & (d): Yes. 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.
- (e):  No. 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.
- (f): 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).

- (g): 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.

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