Shillong: The Khasi Students Union (KSU),
spearheading the movement against the proposed uranium mining,
today submitted memorandum to Chief Minister DD Lapang
demanding the government to revoke its decision to lease land
to the UCIL.
The Union (KSU) calls upon the government to respect the
wishes of the people. The Union is serving a 15 day deadline
ending September 15 to revoke the decision of the cabinet so
as to safeguard the interest of the local indigenous people
and future generations, the memorandum signed by KSU president
Samuel Jyrwa and general secretary Hamlet Dohling said.
Contending that the cabinets decision are plans not
directed to the development of the local people but only to
facilitate the proposed uranium mining in the area, the KSU
said the pre-project development work meant site development
of the UCIL.
Reiterating its opposition to the project, the KSU cited
hazardous effects and deadly fall-outs that would arise once
mining starts in the area.
Claiming that people in and around mining areas elsewhere
have developed severe health hazards, the student body said
the mining would lead to environmental degradation in the
area. The project would also result in large-scale displacement
of the indigenous people, besides opening floodgates of influx
of non-indigenous people from outside the state, the student
body said, adding that the mining township would become like a
military cantonment prohibited to all local people.
Recalling that about 75 per cent of the people had
opposed the project during a public hearing on June 12, 2007,
it accused the Central government of infringing the rights of
the local people by issuing environment and forest clearance
to the project.
The Meghalaya cabinet last week had decided to lease 422
sq hectares of land having uranium deposits in West Khasi
Hills for 30 years to the UCIL for pre-project developmental
works.
The UCIL had agreed to earmark Rs 209 crore to carry
out pre-project development programmes, including health care
facilities, power, drinking water, educational institutions
and roads.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 01, 2009, 22:12