Shillong, Oct. 8: The department of atomic energy today ruled out the possibility of developing the whole of West Khasi Hills under the pre-development projects to be initiated by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd.
Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang said he would convince UCIL to extend the development work to the entire district. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi to discuss the matter.
The KSU and other anti-mining groups had told the government that if UCIL wantsed to engage in pre-development activities, it should not be limited to the sites.
The head of the public awareness division of the department of atomic energy, S.K. Malhotra, spoke to mediapersons after the birth centenary celebrations of nuclear scientist Homi Jahangir Bhabha on the premises of the atomic mineral directorate office at Nongmynsong here.
He said the Rs 209-crore pre-development projects by UCIL would be limited only to the uranium mining sites and its surrounding areas. “The UCIL is not a road development agency and the West Khasi Hills district where the mining sites are located cannot be developed,” hesaid.
Addressing the centenary celebration function, Malhotra said some of the country’s nuclear reactors were running very low on their installed capacity and it has become all the more necessary to start mining in Meghalaya. “The radiation released from the nuclear industry is only 0.15 per cent compared to the radiation from the natural background,” Malhotra said.
He said there were 10,000 tonnes of uranium oxide in Mawthabah and if this was mined, the uranium shortage could be solved.
The official said the international nuclear deals, which India had entered into with various countries including the US, did not indicate that India has to forego the indigenous nuclear sources in the country. “The international nuclear deal is over and above the existing indigenous nuclear programmes and we will pursue tapping of the uranium mining sites in many parts of the country,” he said.
Meghalaya Governor R.S. Mooshahary who was the chief guest at the function, said uranium mining could help the state to overcome the acute shortage of power.