Date | July 09, 2017:

New Delhi has been eyeing on Meghalaya to mine Uranium. The Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL) has been making desperate attempt to convince the people of the state. However, stiff opposition from the people and state government, has posed hurdle for UCIL to go ahead. The mining project has been hanging on fire since 1992 after several groups expressed fears of radiation impact on human health and environment degradation.

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) plans to develop large deposits of uranium in Meghalaya that has the potential to generate nuclear fuel for atomic power plants in the country.

Despite of getting the nod from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in December 2007, it has not been able to go ahead with the exploration. Meghalaya government is clear with its intention that it will not go ahead unless the people are convinced that mining will not pose any health hazard.

Anti-mining groups say that they would not allow UCIL to mine uranium at any cost. In March last, UCIL officials tried to break the deadlock, which has been stalled for the past two decades.

“The proposal has to be scraped. We will not allow mining of uranium in Meghalaya,” said Samuel Jyrwa, chairman of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO).

“UCIL made every attempt to convince the civil organisations of Meghalaya by promising that they would adhere to all the safety standards, but we were not willing to buy their arguments,” he added.

UCIL has proposed open cast mining at Mawthabah in West and South West Khasi Hills.

Meghalaya has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits and is the third uranium-rich state in the country after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

UCIL has estimated a project worth Rs. 1100 cr for Kylleng- Pyndengsohiong-Mawthabah project for excavating uranium ore. The ore are spread over a hill terrain in deposits varying from eight to 47 metres for the surface.

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), which had launched several agitations in the past forcing the government to stall the project, said that the officials of the government-owned company were misleading the people.

“KSU wants to send a clear message to the Indian government and UCIL that we have been opposing uranium mining for 25 years now and will continue to do so till our last breath,” said Lambokstarwell Marngar, KSU president.

Opposition legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit has been in the forefront to raise criticism against uranium mining. He had recently asked the government to constitute an assembly committee to look into ‘suspicious’ exploratory drilling of uranium and a detailed probe on the presence of 1,500-drilled boreholes at the project site.

The probe report is yet to come out.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, “I have shared the sentiments of the people with the Centre. Our stand has been firm against mining.”

He also stated that the 422 hectares of land at Kylleng-Pyndensohiong- Mawthabah has already been cancelled.

“In the absence of land, how will mining of uranium take place? We already have a law that protects us and we do not have to be shaky,” he said.

Simmering Problem

It looks uneasy for the Centre to go ahead with mining in Meghalaya, but it has continued to express its intent to continue with the project. It appears that authorities are bent upon proceeding with the mining. In 2014, India’s nuclear power generation capacity was 4,780 MW.

“When we came to power in 2014, we had set a target of generating nuclear power by three times in 10 years and we hope to reach that target,” said Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office.

He said that by 2024 India expects to generate nuclear power to almost 15000 MW.

Production of uranium from Jaduguda area in Singhbhum, Jharkhand is said to be no longer capable of keeping up with the growing number of nuclear power stations in the country, which has forced New Delhi to engage with Meghalaya to explore the reserves of uranium.

Debate over mining

In February last, mass death of fish in river Ranikor was reported, followed by a report in a popular Bangladesh daily in April on the death of fish on the other side of the border in the same river, which set the ball of debate on Uranium mining in Meghalaya. Locals in mining rich areas, particularly civil organisations have blamed on the pits, which were let uncovered after exploratory drilling of uranium.

“The sudden death of fishes in the river and change of river colour is due to drilling of uranium,” felt Marconi Thongni, activist of KSU in Ranikor.

The activists claimed that there were hundreds of pits that were abandoned by the company in the thick forest at Prokut area in West Khasi Hills.

UCIL promises to build infrastructure to create employment and development in the area, including roads and schools at the project site but the question that largely haunts the locals are on their very existence. The decent is strong against the mining in such a situation will centre be able to win over the hearts of the people?

(Source: https://www.northeasttoday.in/)