Sat, Nov 07, 2009 11:10:28 IST
Giving in to pressure from agitating organisations, Meghalaya government has decided to put on hold the UCIL's pre-mining developmental works in the uranium-rich areas of the state and formed a committee to look into the apprehensions.
The decision was taken by the government during a meeting with representatives from the agitation organisations led by the Khasi Students Union (KSU). “The Joint Committee on Uranium mining to be chaired by Deputy Chief Minister (in charge mining) BM Lanong, will comprise members from the agitation groups, scientists, environmentalists and other experts. It will try to address the concerns expressed by the organizations,” Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang said after the meeting. The committee has been given three months for the exercise and after it submits its recommendations, the government will decide whether to go ahead with the proposed UCIL’s pre-mining developmental works, Lapang said.
Lapang also dismissed claims by the protesting groups that the pre-project developmental activities by the UCIL were meant to facilitate the uranium mining project. “As per an agreement with the UCIL, the project was divided into two phases – one the developmental works and the other the actual mining.
The mining issue in Meghalaya has been hanging fire for more than two decades now with some prominent NGOs and political parties vehemently opposed to the proposal on the grounds that it would lead to degradation of the environment besides opening the floodgates for outsiders into the tribal state. Explorations by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research done two decades back estimated there could be over 16,000 tonnes of uranium ore in the Mahadek Basin of the state.
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