UCIL appeals to anti-nuke lobbies to allow public hearing

Shillong, May 28 (UNI) The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) today appealed to the anti-uranium mining groups in Meghalaya to allow the public hearing regarding the proposed uranium mining at Nongbah Jynrin village on June 12.

''We fervently appeal to all the anti-mining groups to allow the public hearing to ensure that the public views are being taken note of,'' UCIL spokesperson Swapnesh Kumar Malhotra said.

The State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) had decided to hold a public hearing following the UCIL's proposal to develop an open cast mining at the Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong Uranium Ore and Processing Project at Mawthabah in the state's West Khasi Hills district.

However, anti-mining groups led by the Hill State Peoples' Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the Khasi Students' Union opposed the public hearing.

''India is a democratic country. Let the people attend the public hearing to air their views and suggestions on the proposed Uranium project. If the public at large is against mining we will not proceed with the project,'' Mr Malhotra told UNI here.

The Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) found uranium oxide reserves, estimating 9,500 tonnes in about 9.22 million tonnes of ore in the state.

During an initial survey, the UCIL found that the area around Kylleng-Pyndeng-Sohiong had about 10,000 tonnes of uranium.

The sandstone tpye uranium deposits in Meghalaya were the largest, richest, near-surface and low-cost, discovered in India so far, UCIL officials claimed.

''If the real purpose of the public hearing is to hear the views of the people of the district then it should have been organised in the district headquarters and not in a remote village,'' senior HSPDP leader Hopingstone Lyngdoh said.

Mr Lyngdoh said the HSPDP had also decided to hold a public meeting at Nongstoin, the district headquarters of the West Khasi Hills on June 4 to highlight the ill-effects of Uranium mining.

Meanwhile, the indigenous people of the Hima Langrin and Hima Maram decided to hold a separate public meeting on June 5 at Umdohlun village to oppose the public hearing.

UNI