THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the Central government has decided to amend the law to make maximum use of the black sand that can determine the growth of the country, it is feared that the state's failure to take a correct stand might cause a great loss to Kerala. These mineral resources are not being used in the state.

Thorium,a nuclear fuel and Silicon, an essential mineral used in micro-chip production is available in black sand. The black sand in Kerala is rich in Monocite and Granite, from which Thorium and Silicon can be extracted. According to a study by the National Institutes of Science Communication and Advanced Information Research, there is 96.6% silicon dioxide in black sand. The public sector undertakings haven't done much in case of mining and the state government excludes private sector.

Public sector companies such as Indian Rare Earths Limited, KMML and Travancore Titanium operate here. The Central government has planned to expand production by including private companies. Currently, only the state goverment has control over it. Mining right is limited to public sector undertakings.