Meghalaya: Public hearing on Uranium at tiny village

Nongbah Jynrin (Meghalaya), June 8: At the heart of the Uranium mining issue in Meghalaya is eighty-year-old grandmother Spillity Langrin Lyngdoh, who has vowed to prevent mining at any cost on her land where the nuclear ore is to be mined by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL).

''I will continue to fight against it as long as I can,'' she said. But she indicated the helplessness of her position as when she said ''what can we do if the government forcefully grabs the land and mine it.'' For over one-and-half-decade now, the UCIL has been trying to develop an open-cast mining at Domiasiat and other adjoining villages and a processing unit at Mawthabah in West Khasi hills district.

The mining project which was estimated at Rs 300 crore in 1992 and now revised to Rs 814 crore, was strongly opposed by the Hills State People's Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement, the allies of Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, the Khasi Student's Union, Meghalaya People's Human Rights Council and Langrin Youth Welfare Association.

However, the government owned mining company failed to establish the mining project following strong opposition from tribal land-owners who claimed to have witnessed the detrimental effects of Uranium mining during the Atomic Mineral Division's (AMDs) pilot project at Domiasiat in late 90s.

But this stiff resistance from the villagers appears to be withering away especially at Nongbah Jynrin village, about 160 km from Shillong where young and old were seen in full swing preparing to host the public hearing on Uranium mining. The hearing is scheduled for June 12 and will be attended by senior officials of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, UCIL and villagers.

Representing the views of the pro-mining lobby in the small village is Heas Dienglan, Chairman of ''Synjuk Ki Hynriew Shnong'' (Federation of Six Villages).

''We are not against mining and are aware of the benefits the villagers would receive once Uranium mining takes place. The UCIL has assured to set up schools and colleges, hospitals and to provide employment to the locals,'' he said happy with the prospect of having these new 'development' inputs in his backward village.

Mr Lyngdoh, who was one those who had been part of the entourage sponsored by the UCIL over the years and had visited Jharkhand to 'understand the exploration of Uranium ore in Jaduguda' said he favoured Uranium mining after witnessing the development activities in Jaduguda and its adjoining areas. ''I don't agree with those saying Uranium mining causes health hazards as I did not witness any ill effects of Uranium mining in Jaduguda,'' Mr Dienglang confidently said.

Mr Dienglan asserted that they had never sold out the land, but had given the land on lease to UCIL for two years. An agreement will be signed in this regard with UCIL along with the requirement of providing jobs and other development schemes. Like the dwellers of Nongbah Jynrin, he claimed the people of Mawthabah, New Nongtynger, Nongtynger, Nongmalang and Langmyndia have decided to support Uranium mining at the public hearing.

''Look, the UCIL has not even started to mine, but it has already started to construct roads for our benefit,'' Mr Dienglang pointed out.

However, P Sohshang, a resident of Mawkhyllaitngap village, claimed that it was only few of the people who had agreed to allow the UCIL to mine in the areas after they are being ''bought and befooled'' by the government.

''Most of our people are illiterate and the UCIL has befooled them for its own benefit. We will not allow them to mine Uranium for we don't want our clan to be extinct,'' 40-year-old Sohshang said.

Spillity Langrin Lyngdoh, who has been voicing against mining since 1990, said the pilot project of the AMD in her land at Domiasiat had proved the ill effects of Uranium mining.

''Many of our people now have suffered from different kinds of diseases at Domiasiat, Phlangdilion, Langpa, Phudumiap while most of them died at Warsan Lyngdoh areas,'' Ms Lyngdoh said.

Meanwhile, the area is a beehive of activity. ''We are leveling the ground for a helipad to welcome government officials to highlight the benefits of Uranium mining during the public hearing,'' Nokbylman Lyngdoh Sangriang, the traditional headman of Nongbah Jynrin, said.

In 1984, the AMD had found uranium oxide reserves estimating 9,500 tonnes in the state. The sandstone type uranium deposits in Meghalaya were the largest, richest, near-surface and low-cost discovered in India so far, UCIL officials claimed.

UNI