Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday opened a new front in his battle with the centre, this time over a proposed offshore petroleum and natural gas mining project in the Gulf of Mannar region, which lies between India's southeastern tip and Sri Lanka's western coast.
He wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to warn of "irreversible damage" to the fragile marine ecosystem.
Mr Stalin reminded the Prime Minister the proposed mining project is near a marine biosphere reserve that is home to coral reefs, sea grass, and vast stretches of mangrove forests that are critical to the coastal state, providing food, medicine, and wood, as well as a thriving habitat for animals and birds, many of which are endangered, and protection from storms and tidal waves.
The Chief Minister also warned of the impact on a marine reserve for dugong that is in Palk Bay, which forms a transboundary area within the waters of the two countries.
These waters are home to a small but significant breeding population - down from a much larger number - of the marine mammal, as well as acres of seagrass that is its primary source of food.
The dugong is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as 'vulnerable because of threats that include water pollution; the IUCN notes it is "particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances because of their long life span and slow reproduction."
The mining, Mr Stalin continued, will also affect the livelihood of lakhs of Tami fishermen, causing "immense anxiety among coastal communities". He wrote, "The risks of sediment plumes, toxic waste discharge, and habitat destruction cannot be overstated..."
Pointing out also that the state government had not been consulted before the blocks in the Gulf of Mannar region were notified to be auctioned, Mr Stalin sought the PM's personal intervention and roll back not only this notification, but also delete all notified biospheres and biodiversity hotspots from the OALP, or the Petroleum Ministry's Open Acreage Licensing Programme.
The notification in question was announced on February 11 and includes nearly 10,000 sq km within the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, which includes a marine national park that is spread over 560 sq km. The dugong reserve is spread over 448 sq km.
DMK vs BJP War Continues
Mr Stalin's letter comes as Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK and the BJP-led centre lock horns over two contentious issues ahead of next year's Assembly election.
One is the allegation of 'Hindi imposition', that the centre, through its National Education Policy, is forcing Tamil students to learn Hindi. Tamil Nadu has long been suspicious of having the language foisted upon it, and has twice before launched fierce protests on this topic.
READ | "Saying Silly Things": Centre On Stalin's "Hindi Destroyed 25..." Jab
The centre has said there is no plan to 'impose' Hindi, but Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has come under fire from the DMK for linking central funds to compliance.
READ | "Sword Over South States": Tamil Nadu's Stalin Slams Delimitation
The second is the issue of delimitation, or the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies for the 2029 general election. Mr Stalin has claimed this will reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats for Tamil Nadu, if the centre decides to increase, exponentially, seats for northern states on the basis of population (which they have failed to control), thereby limiting the importance of the southern state in Parliament.
Home Minister Amit Shah recently assured Tamil Nadu and the other southern states they will not lose out. but Mr Stalin expressed concern that Mr Shah had not ruled out more seats for northern states.
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