Thaindian News

Shillong, April 29 (IANS) The Meghalaya government Thursday decided to keep in abeyance the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside the ecologically-fragile Balpakram National Park (BNP) in South Garo Hills district.
“We have decided to communicate to the centre the sentiments of the local people on the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside Balpakram,” Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma told IANS.

Sangma, who held a closed door meeting with the Garo Student’s Union (GSU) over the exploratory drilling, added that the government will take people into confidence through deliberations and to enlighten the people about the proposed drilling exercise.

“Yes, the government (Meghalaya) has endorsed our appeal in good spirit and the government has decided to keep in abeyance the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside BNP,” GSU General Secretary Sanjeeb Sangma said.

The GSU, including six other NGOs under the banner of Balpakram Anti Uranium Mining Forum (BAUMF), have opposed the Department of Atomic Energy’s proposal to conduct exploratory drilling inside the “sacred” BNP.

“What has caused us greatest resentment is that the DAE has chosen Balpakram, which has great cultural and religious significance for the Garos. This is where we believe the spirits of all our ancestors dwell,” Sanjeeb said.

The government’s move assume significance as the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) had approved the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)’s proposal to conduct exploratory drilling of uranium in the ecologically fragile Rongcheng plateau of the BNP.

The NBWL is headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Last year, the DAE has asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to de-notify an area of eight sq km on the Rongcheng plateau along the environs of Balpakram National Park in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills for exploration of uranium.

The 400-sq km BNP is a known habitat for the Asian elephant, tiger and other endangered animals such as, Hoolock Gibbon and Slow Loris, apart from being home to rare and endemic plants.

The park is also called land of the eternal death in Garo mythology, as it is believed that the spirits of the dead reside here.

It is also believed by Hindus that Hanuman, while looking for the herb ’sanjeevani’ with which to cure Laxman, who was injured in the battle against Ravana, found it in Balpakram.

“Even considering the desecration of Balpakram is a sacrilege that is absolutely unacceptable,” Sanjeeb said.

Earlier this week, a NBWL member, Bibhab Talukdar, who has been assigned to lead a site inspection team to South Garo Hills to seek the views of people on the DAE’s proposed exploratory drilling of uranium, and submit a report to the standing committee, has decided not to visit the national park.

‘I have informed the board that I will not be visiting the place following people’s protest against the government’s proposal,’ Talukdar said.

The Garo National Liberation Army, a mitant group has warned the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden from going ahead with exploratory work for uranium mining in and around the national park.

“Survey in the recent years has identified the possibility of economical uranium mining in the Rongcheng plateau of Balpakram,” a DAE official said.

He said the DAE wanted to start the exploration exercise to confirm the uranium deposits to meet the country’s nuclear energy requirement which will be to the tune of 20,000 MW by 2020.

The DAE has discovered about 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits in Meghalaya.

The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral a day.

It has also proposed to set up a Rs.1,046-crore open-cast uranium mining and processing plant in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district, which has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits.