Meghalaya moves towards uranium mining

Allows UCIL to undertake pre-project development works in West Khasi Hills region

The Meghalaya government has set the ball rolling for the controversial uranium mining issue in the state by allowing Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to undertake “pre-project developmental works” in uranium rich areas of West Khasi Hills.

But, the going does not appear to be smooth as the influential Khasi Students Union (KSU) has made its position clear that it will oppose any such move.

The state government has agreed 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”. Sources said that the decision was taken after a cabinet meeting on Monday.

“Pre-project developmental works” would mean construction of roads, schools, hospitals, and so on. But sources strictly said that allowing UCIL to undertake “pre-project developmental works” would in no way mean the government had acquiesced mining rights to UCIL.

Sources also said that the change in mood of the state government has come as it had been under “tremendous pressure” from the Centre for sometime to allow uranium mining.

Meghalaya is the third richest uranium 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 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes respectively at Domiasiat and Wakhyn, both in West Khasi Hills region.

But, the uranium mining proposal has been under attack from various tribal organisations, NGOs and the KSU.

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

“What do you mean by pre-project developmental work? Building roads, electricity are all that UCIL will require here to undertake mining in future. So, the government and UCIL are trying to mislead the people. In reality, these are all structural activities of UCIL to start mining,” Jirwa said.

Jyrwa said that KSU would chart a roadmap for opposing the government’s decision in a day or two.

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 made 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.  

UCIL had, in December 2007, got the environmental clearance from the union ministry of environment and forest for its proposed uranium mining and a processing plant at Kylleng-Pyndengshohiong in West Khasi Hills.