SHILLONG:
The Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), on August 3, said that the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) has assured them that the Centre has no plans of exploring possibilities of uranium mining in Meghalaya.
President of the party, K P Pangniang, informed that Prakhar Kumar, regional director of AMD, after meeting with leaders of the HSPDP, said that the Centre discontinued pursuing uranium mining in the state since the government revoked the lease of the 422-hectare site at Domiasiat, Nongbah Jynrin, on August 1, 2016 to explore pre-mining activities.
“Since, the government has revoked the order to allow the Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL) for pre-mining activities there at Domiasiat, till date, the government stands strongly against further exploration of uranium mining in the state,” Pangniang said.
Kumar, however, said that, currently, the AMD is exploring mining in Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of the Northeast, but not in Meghalaya.
Maintaining that the party is following in the footsteps of party’s former president, Late Hoping Stone Lyngdoh, who was known for fighting single-handedly against uranium mining in the state, Pangniang reiterated that the party’s the stand on the issue is clear – it won’t allow uranium mining to affect the state and its people.
Meanwhile, HSPDP general secretary Panbor Ryntathiang further said that the office of the UCIL, which is responsible for mining, has been shut in the state since 2018.
“We want to make it clear that there are no uranium mining activities in Meghalaya or Domiasiat,” he said.
The party met the AMD regional director following media reports alleging that plans to mine uranium in the state are still on.
Recalling the alleged leakage of toxic gas from the uranium storage tanks at Nongbah Jynrin in South West Khasi Hills (SWKH), Pangniang said that the party had demanded immediate sealing of the leakage if there is any and setting up of a team to ascertain that.
“As of now, we are not getting any reports whether there is a leakage or not. So, we want the government to give us clear information on Domiaisit where the mining took place,” he said.
The party has expressed its gratitude to the government for reopening the Domiasiat Government Lower Primary School in April 2022. The government school was closed down following the anti-uranium protests in the area.