Shillong, Aug 03, 2022, By Agencies

Shillong Aug 02: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has urged Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, to adopt a resolution in the Assembly to shut all proposals relating to uranium mining in the state.  

The HYC’s demand to adopt a resolution against uranium mining in Meghalaya was made after union minister Dr Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the Centre has not yet abandoned the idea of uranium mining at Domiasiat-Mawthabah area in South West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.  

In a memorandum submitted to Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin and general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem said, “…as per a statement of Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh to an unstarred question in the Parliament it’s clear that the government of India is still pursuing with uranium mining in the state.” 

The HYC said, “It would be prudent and forceful that the Assembly pass a resolution and to impress upon the government of India to close down any programme or proposal to mine uranium.” 

Notably, Meghalaya is the third uranium-rich state in the country after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.  

The state accounts for 16 per cent of India’s uranium reserves, with deposits estimated to be around 9500 tonnes and 4000 tonnes at Domiasiat and Wakhaji respectively.  

The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) has proposed to set up an open-cast uranium mining and processing plant at Meghalaya’s Mawthabah.  

The previous Congress-led Meghalaya government had annulled the decision taken during the previous DD Lapang regime to lease 422 hectares of land to UCIL for pre-mining activities in South West Khasi Hill district.