Uranium mining keeps Meghalaya on toes

The controversial uranium mining issue is keeping Meghalaya at tenterhooks.

With the 15-day deadline by the influential Khasi Students Union (KSU), asking the state government to revoke its decision to lease land to Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) came to an end on September 15 with the government remaining unmoved, the student body has decided to undertake protest demonstrations in the coming days.

The Meghalaya government had on August 24 had taken the decision to handover 422 hectares of land in uranium rich West Khasi Hills to UCIL on lease for 30 years to undertake the "pre-project developmental works."

"This is an unfortunate decision. Both the state government and UCIL are trying to mislead the people," Samuel Jyrwa, president of KSU, told Business Standard.

According to Jyrwa, KSU would not let the UCIL to undertake mining until and unless its concerns are fully addressed.

KSU is opposed to the uranium mining proposal on the ground that it would degrade environment and precipitate health hazards in and around the mines, Jyrwa said.

According to Jyrwa, "pre-project developmental works" were, in reality, "structural activities" by UCIL prior to undertaking uranium mining."

On the other hand, Lapang had recently made it clear that the government would not review the decision at any cost.

Meghalaya is the third uranium rich state in the country after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. The state accounts for 16 per cent of India's uranium reserves, with deposits estimated to be around 9,500 tones and 4,000 tones respectively at Domiasiat and Wakhyn, both in West Khasi hills region.

UCIL, had to wind up its mining operations in Khasi Hills soon after it started in early 1990s due to fierce and violent tribal protests. It had mad a fresh application for uranium mining with the state government in 2001. The mining project, which was estimated at Rs 300 crore in 1990s, has now escalated to around Rs 825 crore.