“There is no pressure from the centre on the state government to facilitate the process to start mining of uranium at the earliest,” he said, Though, the issue has become a bit cold, but not off and that does not mean that the issue is no longer there, Lanong, who holds the ranks of deputy chief minister in the Mukul Sangma-led ministry, said.
On Centre’s plan to start uranium mining in the state by 2012, he said that the state government is yet to receive any official intimation about this plan of the Centre. “Unlike last year, the government at the moment is following a very slow pace with regards to the issue (uranium mining),” Lanong added. Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Prithviraj Chavan’s told members of the Rajya Sabha that uranium production from the Kylleng Pyndensohiong Mawthabah Project in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district was likely to commence in the XII Plan which starts in 2012.
The Rs. 1,046-crore open-cast uranium mining and processing plant at Mawthabah area had been hanging fire since 1992 after several groups cited radiation effect on human health and environmental degradation.
The UCIL plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral a day. Chavan said a number of uranium projects, viz. Gogi in Karnataka, KPM in Meghalaya and Lambapur in Andhra Pradesh are being taken up during XI plan period where the production from these projects are expected to commence in the XII plan period.
He also informed that the current estimated amount of uranium resources in Meghalaya is 17,252 tonnes while the total reserve in the country stands at 1,47,898 tonnes.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had said that his government will adopt a “new approach” on the proposed uranium mining in the state, aiming for a consensus on the issue after reassuring the people on health and environmental concerns and calculating the benefits to the state.
“We will have a new approach to find out a solution to the apprehensions of the people as far as impact on health and environmental issues vis-Ã -vis the proposed uranium mining,” Sangma said. Last year, the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) decided to invest Rs.209 crore to start their pre-mining developmental projects in 422 hectares of the uranium-rich areas of West Khasi Hills in southern Meghalaya.
The then Lapang government was forced to keep the project in abeyance following violent protests from various groups.