Villagers resist uranium mining

A demand has been made for the constitution of an independent team of experts to look into the health and environmental implications of the proposed uranium mining project in Yadgir district of Karnataka.

Stressing that any government-commissioned study may ‘suppress’ some facts to favour the project, a Congress MLA has called for an independent team of experts in the field of uranium and nuclear energy to look into villagers’ fears over perceived health and environmental safety hazards.

Shahapur MLA Sharana Basappa Darshanapur said, “We need an independent team of experts to give its report, based on which we can move forward. Health of the people is of paramount importance. The project is not as important as the health of the people at any cost.”

He said some “experts and activists” visited the village a couple of months ago airing serious concerns about water contamination and radiation-related health problems spreading even to 25 km or 40 km from Gogi. “Resistance to the project will grow going forward,” Darshanapur said, adding that with reports of Australia agreeing to supply uranium to India, people are asking the need to take up the project in Gogi.

Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), a Government of India undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy, is engaged in exploratory mining for uranium in the village from 2007 on 32 hectares of 39.133 hectare taken on lease on the outskirts of the village. Darshanapur said a shaft 225 metres deep has already been sunk.

UCIL intends to start main mining operations on the commercial scale for large-scale extraction of uranium.

“It has estimated the total deposit of uranium oxide to be around 4,250 tonnes. It is reported that this deposit has 0.1 per cent uranium (per tonne of uranium oxide). The proposed unit will have capacity of 0.15 tonnes per year and may run for about 15 years,” says a report of Western Ghats Task Force, which recently brought out a ‘first hand report’.

Darshanapur said lack of in-depth knowledge on the project is contributing to fears of people, adding, questions like how the processed ore would be disposed off needed to be answered. According to the Task Force, the proposed mining project would require 102.234 hectares for ore processing. It falls in Saidapura and Diggi villages.

The forest land in Umaroddi reserve forest and Muhadapura reserve forest area would also fall in this proposed project area. The proposed area comprises agricultural land, ponds, forest land and marginal lands. UCIL has now applied for permission from different regulatory agencies.