Rejection of proposed Indian uranium mine

Monday, 17 May 2010

Plans to develop a uranium deposit within the Balphakran National Park in Meghalaya state, India, have been rejected by a federal ministry because local authorities had failed to prevent illegal coal mining in the area.

 

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) had sought approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to conduct exploratory drilling for uranium in the Garo Hill District. However, at a recent meeting of its Standing Committee of the National Board on Wildlife, the ministry decided to reject the proposal.

 

In a statement, the committee said that, while acknowledging India's urgent need to augment domestic uranium supplies, it "took this decision keeping in view of the sentiments of the local people and a number of representations received from local civil society groups."

 

During its meeting, the committee was presented with a report by one of its members - Asad Rahmani of the Bombay Natural History Society - on illegal private coal mining around the Balphakran National Park. Having visited the area, he found that there were private coal mines operating in Meghalaya state, close to the Bangladesh border, in violation of national environmental and mining regulations.

 

In his report, Rahmani said, "The Chief Executive Council of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council has all the powers to stop these illegal mines. Similarly, the District Magistrate of Baghmara can also take action to stop illegal mines. However, in effect neither of these agencies appears to have any control on the ground situation." He added, "After visiting the area, I found that it gives the appearance of an untamed wild frontier where anyone can occupy the land and loot the natural resources."

 

Rahmani noted, "The most shocking fact was that all this illegally extracted coal is being exported 'legally' to Bangladesh through a border outpost at Gasaupara." He added, "Interestingly, the office of the Department of Mines and Minerals in located at Gasaupara. The whole area around Gasaupara village is spoiled due to coal dumps (on any open space), movement of trucks, pollution of water bodies, noise, and black exhaust by rickety old trucks."

 

The Standing Committee subsequently decided to press the state government of Meghalaya to implement the recommendations contained within the report. These included the immediate ban on all mining and road construction activity within the Balphakran National Park and to introduce strict regulation of all coal mines in Garo Hills and other parts of the state. It also called for the implementation of "proper mining plans which will ensure that local people avail the greatest benefit from mining."

 

There are currently 19 nuclear power reactors in commercial operation in India, with a combined generating capacity of 4183 MW. The country expects to have 20,000 MWe of nuclear capacity online by 2020 and 63,000 MWe by 2032. However, India's uranium resources are modest with 54,000 tonnes as reasonably assured resources and 23,500 tonnes as estimated additional resources in situ. Accordingly, from 2009 India is expecting to import an increasing proportion of its uranium fuel needs.

 

Mining and processing of uranium is carried out by Uranium Corporation of India Ltd, a subsidiary of the DAE, at Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar and Turamdih - all in Jharkhand state near Calcutta. A common mill is located near Jaduguda that processes some 2090 tonnes of ore per day.

 

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News