Uranium project stalled idefinitely by community opposition
A conglomeration of NGOs, civil society organizations including the powerful Khasi Students Union (KSU) is leading the agitations to prevent UCIL from starting the site activities. Opposition to uranium mining
(India) KPM Uranium Mining in Meghalaya: A Controversial Project | PRAGOTI, 15 June 2010, Problems in Meghalaya KPM project in Meghalaya has been mired in controversy right since its inception forcing the UCIL to stall its activities till local population agrees to give their land voluntarily….……Every time UCIL expresses its intent of beginning project activities, it leads to unrest in the region forcing UCIL to retreat. The resistance to this project is so strong that UCIL had to come out with a new strategy…
…the expressed intent of stage-I including pre-project activities is to convince local population about the beneficial nature of the project. However, UCIL could not even begin pre-project activities as sustained protests by the local groups last year forced state government to withdraw its assent to UCIL till all issues are resolved.A conglomeration of NGOs, civil society organizations including the powerful Khasi Students Union (KSU) is leading the agitations to prevent UCIL from starting the site activities. Opposition to uranium mining is based on following concerns.
1. Safety to miners: Uranium emits radon gas, which is a carcinogen. This is especially dangerous in underground mines. KPM being an open mine, this may not be similarly dangerous. However, safety of miners remains an issue as high amount of dust containing traces of uranium and other toxic heavy metals may still be dangerous.
2. Health Impacts: UCIL has not come clean on the health impacts on population living in the surrounding areas of mining sites. Tailings dams contain high amount of toxic heavy metals which have the potential to contaminate the water resources. Ill effects of uranium mining including the congenital defects have been reported from Jaduguda areas in the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Although UCIL has denied it citing its own reports people’s experiences have been different from what UCIL claims.
3. Environmental impacts: Environmental impacts of any mining activity are huge as it severely contaminates air, land and water leading to irreversible damage to local ecosystems. The area having the fragile ecosystems has been environmentally protected by the tribal people due to their own ways of life.
4. Displacement: Displacement remains to be one of the biggest issues in any large projects like this as Indian state’s record in adequately compensating displaced people is horrific.
KPM Uranium Mining in Meghalaya: A Controversial Project | PRAGOTI
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