Anti-Mining Groups Vows Not to Allow Uranium Mining in Meghalaya

Shillong, Nov 11 : Anti-mining groups in Meghalaya today said that they would continue to oppose the proposed uranium mining in West Khasi Hills district, even as the Centre has made it clear that the project will go ahead once the Meghalaya government gives clearance.

The groups reiterated their stand on the controversial mining issue after attending the awareness briefing presentation of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) on the proposed uranium mining as per the international safety standards in the state.

''We have made them clear that we will not allow uranium mining project. We have also conveyed a strong message to New Delhi through them to carry the same that no interest parties should again come in future trying to convince the people on the issue,'' Khasi Students Union (KSU) general secretary Hamletson Dohling told reporters.

Echoing the KSU leader, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People president Emlang Lyttan said, ''We are not convinced that uranium mining poses no health hazard and they should refrain from adopting this kind of desperate approach.'' Meghalaya People's Human Rights Council leader, DDG Dympep, who walked out of the meeting, alleging that the awareness programme was held only to convince people to allow uranium to be mined from the State.

The team of UCIL officials and Atomic Mineral Division led by S K Malhotra, head of public awareness division of the Department of Atomic Energy, was on a two-day visit to the city for an awareness programme on the importance of uranium mining.

Mr Malhotra said the DAE was patient enough to wait and would continue the process of conducting such awareness programme in future to convince that the project is for the benefit of the people.

Though the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had given clearance to the UCIL to start mining in the state, Mr Malhotra said that the project would be started once the state government give them a go-ahead on the project.

''We are patient enought and we wanted the project to go as per procedures and get people involved through community participation,'' he said.

The UCIL proposes to set up an open-cast uranium mining and processing plant in Meghalaya. The state is estimated to have 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits.

It has also plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes a day.