JOIN US'Uranium mining only after studying health hazards'
Higher Education Minister V S Acharya told the Legislative Council on Tuesday that UCI had sought permission to conduct uranium mining on 39.13 hectares in Gogi village, which has about 2,681 metric tonnes of uranium deposits.
The application seeking mining lease is under the government’s consideration, he said.
Acharya was replying — on behalf of the chief minister who holds the mining portfolio — to a question raised by Manohar Maski who alleged that UCI had started mining in the area and the local people were complaining of health problems.
Public hearing held
The minister said UCI had also filed an application before the Union Ministry of Mines seeking permission to set up an uranium processing unit at Gogi. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board held a public hearing in this regard on November 16 last year.
UCI is the only state-owned uranium mining company in the country with over 50 years of experience in the field. It follows international standards as far as safety and health issues are concerned. All decisions with respect to health and safety are taken in the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, he said.
Denying allegations that UCI had already started mining operations at Gogi, Acharya said the company was only conducting a few tests and experiments. The State government had not sanctioned the lease to the firm, he said.
Besides, he said, the government had issued directions to the Health Department officials to send a detailed report on complaints that local residents were facing health problems because of uranium mining.