CPI, BJP stage walkout on Uranium project

Hyderabad, Mar 9 (UNI) The CPI and the BJP today staged a walkout from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly protesting against setting up of Uranium processing unit in Nalgonda District.

Replying to a question by G Kishan Reddy (BJP) and others during the Question Hour, Minister for Mining Sabita Reddy said the Centre had given clearance for setting up the unit with 37 stringent conditions.

The project had also received clearance from the Central Forest and Environment Departments.

Ms Reddy said the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) had earlier held the project, to be set up by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited, will not be able to implement the provisions of the environment management plan submitted by it.

The APPCB also felt monitoring of environment pollution on a day-to-day basis will be very difficult in view of the sensitive nature of the project and since the entire mining activity will be taking place in the catchment area of Nagarjunasagar Project, a drinking water source.

She said APPCB had not issued its consent to the project and referred the matter to the state government. A public hearing was also held where majority of the people of the nearby villages had opposed the project.

As a Central Government circular stipulated that any project for which more than 50 per cent of the residents express opposition during a public hearing should be sent to it for clearance, the proposal was fowarded to the Union Government.

Apart from imposing stringent conditions, the Centre also ensured the project site was shifted to a place 21 km away from Nagarjuna Sagar.

She said the shifting was in compliance with the Supreme Court direction that nuclear projects should not located near water bodies and a minimum distance of ten km must be maintained. The clearance was given on December 21, last year.

However, the CPI and BJP member alleged the Union Government was imposing the project on the state, despite opposition from the locals and the state.

While assuring members that there would be no pollution in the Nagarjuna Sagar which supplied drinking water to the capital, Ms Reddy said the Nuclear Fuel Complex has been functioning in the heart of the capital without any safety hazard for years.

She said the share of nuclear power production in India was only three per cent and such projects would help power generation.

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