Meghalaya Guv asks people to support Uranium mining

Shillong, Oct 20 (UNI) Underlining the importance of the mining industry for nation building, Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary today urged people of Meghalaya to help the cause by lending support to Uranium mining in West Khasi Hills district of the state.

Speaking after releasing the Centre for Science and Environment's 6th ''State of India's environment'' report at St Edmund's College here, Mr Mooshahary said energy was required for overall development of India, and Meghalaya by allowing Uranium mining could help augment that growth.

He hoped the people of Meghalaya would like to contribute their bit to build the nation and strengthen the ''bond, goodwill'' with their fellow citizens by lending support to the stalled Uranium mining project in West Khasi Hills.

'' Empirical evidence from other mining areas in India and abroad proved that no harmful radiation was accounted from scientific Uranium mining, '' Mr Mooshahary said.

'' Meghalaya has about 16 per cent of the nation's Uranium deposit, '' he said adding, '' Uranium is a scare resource and we need as much of it as available to produce power without energy the momentum of all human activities will slow down much to the detriment of humankind. '' He said majority of the people including the local stakeholders, wanted Uranium mining in Meghalaya, but there were a few individuals and organisations still not convinced on the merits of Uranium mining.

'' We want to take them (opponents of Uranium mining) along with the assurance that Meghalaya and India are not things apart but complementary partners in promoting health, happiness and prosperity of the constituents, '' he stated.

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