Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the central government to reverse its decision to permit deep-sea mineral mining off the state's coast, citing concerns that such activities would harm the region's economy and disrupt the environmental balance.

The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was passed despite protests from opposition UDF MLAs, who staged a demonstration in front of the Speaker's dais.

The UDF accused the Speaker of acting as an "agent" of the ruling front. The protest followed the Speaker’s refusal to allow Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, to complete his speech before they walked out.

The opposition’s demand to adjourn the Assembly's proceedings and discuss the ASHA workers’ protest was also rejected. As a result, the deep-sea mining resolution was passed without any debate.

The resolution expressed concerns over the adverse impact of deep-sea mining on the region’s valuable fish resources, biodiversity, and the livelihood of fishermen. It stated that Kerala had already raised objections with the Centre, warning that the mining would severely affect the fragile ecosystem of the deep-sea region.

However, the Centre proceeded with amendments to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act of 2002, disregarding the state's concerns.

The resolution further warned that allowing private companies to conduct deep-sea mining could lead to strategically important minerals falling into private hands, which may pose a threat to national security.

“The Assembly views the Centre’s decision with serious concern, as deep-sea mining would not only harm the biodiversity and ecosystem of the area but also disrupt the livelihoods of fishermen, negatively impact the state’s economy, and pose a threat to national security,” the resolution stated, urging the Centre to immediately withdraw its decision.

The amendments to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, the state government argued, were not in the best interests of the states. The ruling Left Front had also urged the opposition Congress-led UDF to join the protests against the proposed mining initiative, but the UDF rejected the invitation, accusing the Left government of "supporting" the move. The UDF has decided to protest against the Centre's decision separately.

The Kerala government had previously informed the Assembly that deep-sea mining could, in the long term, result in the destruction of traditional marine and backwater fish stocks, accelerate coastal erosion, lead to job losses, and hinder the movement of fishing vessels. Kerala’s Industries Minister P Rajeeve recently stated that the state had formally protested against the proposal on three separate occasions.

In response to the central government's decision, the Kerala Fisheries Coordination Committee organised a 24-hour hartal last month, with fishermen unions across the state refraining from fishing activities. This caused significant disruptions at fishing ports, fish landing centres, and markets from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram.

The committee revealed that the Centre has decided to auction sand blocks for offshore mining in five sectors: Kollam South, Kollam North, Alappuzha, Ponnani, and Chavakkad. As part of their ongoing protests, the committee has announced plans for a Parliament march on March 12.