Meghalaya forms expert committee on Uranium mining

Shillong, Aug 5 (UNI) The Meghalaya government has constituted an expert committee on health to study the implications of uranium mining by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) in Kylleng-Pyndeng-Sohiong in West Khasi Hills district of the state.

The Expert Committee, consisting of five medical doctors specialized in different areas of medicines will be headed by Dr R Nongrum, a senior surgeon in Shillong Civil Hospital.

The other medicos includes - Dr Andreas Dkhar (Medical Specialist), Dr (Mrs) J Syiemlieh (Oncologist), Dr (Ms) V Myrboh (Orthopedics Surgeon) and Dr (Ms) Eva Marbaniang (Pathologists).

''These government doctors will carry out a study to find out the implications of uranium mining,'' Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Adviser Pariong told UNI here today.

Dr Pariong said the Health department officials will go to Domasiat where some of the local people were involved in exploration of uranium with the officials of the Atomic Mineral Division (AMD) in 1991.

''These health officials will find out the status of health of the local people who were involved in the exploration work and report to the committee,'' he said.

The State Health department officials will also visit Jadugoda to study the implication of mining on the local people there.

Last month, the Donkupar's-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government constituted three experts groups to study the insinuation of the proposed uranium project in the state.

Of the three experts group, Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy said one group will be from outside the state and the other two from within Meghalaya. He said one of the experts group from Meghalaya will consist of official from the state health department.

'' We are all concerned about the affect of uranium radiation on the health of the local people. Before deciding we want to know the affect of mining,'' he said.

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