It’s a bolt from the blue for people of Gogi
Govt gave nod for mining without considering pros and cons, they say
The approval given by the State government for uranium mining, being undertaken in Gogi village for the last three years, has come as a huge surprise to the people, even as the committee of experts submitted its report last week over the ill-effects of uranium mining and precautions to be taken.
The committee was formed following an unanimous decision taken at a meeting jointly organised by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Uranium Corporation of India on November 16, 2010, at Gogi.
Following an appeal by the Yadgir Deputy Commissioner, a team led by Dr Madhukavi and cancer specialist Dr Shekhar Patil had visited the mining areas on February 2, 2011.
Pros and cons
Mallanna Parivana, convenor of the Bhoomitayi Horata Samiti, said that the government’s approval, even before studying the pros and cons mentioned in the report, would sound the death knell for the people.
As many as 12 farmers had submitted their objections to the Assistant Commissioner, after the Deputy Commissioner issued a notification for the acquisition of 39 acres and 31 guntas around Gogi, following a direction by the Director of the Uranium Research Centre, Hyderabad.
“It has been mentioned in our objections that the livelihood of the people subsisting on fertile land should not be snatched at any cost,” Mallanna said.
Acquisition proposal
Taluk Magistrate Y S Mallikarjun said proposals to acquire 34 acres and 15 guntas in Umaradoddi, besides 61 acres and 15 guntas in Saidapur and Diggi had been sent from the revenue department to the office of the Yadgir Assistant Commissioner.
He said he had no additional information.
Harmful effects
People in Gogi said that 500 borewells drilled to look for and ascertain the density of the uranium deposits in the area had led to harmful effects on the people.
Contaminated water had also been released from the mining areas, allege the people.
The Department of Atomic Energy had undertaken mining in seven acres and 11 guntas in the village, 18 years ago.
