SHILLONG, APR 20: West Khasi hills ngos on Wednesday demanded that the centre immediate ‘cancellation’ the proposed two-lane road project from Nongstoin to Mawthabah, an area rich in uranium deposit.
The two ngos– Khasi Students Union (KSU) Umdohlun Circle and Phlangmawprah Unit and Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA)- also expressed opposition against move to mine Uranium.
“We demand the centre to cancel the project as it is solely for the purpose of facilitating uranium mining and its transportation,” KSU-Umdohlun Cirlce Shemphang Nonglang and LYWA president Marking G Lyngdoh said.
The 68 km two lane road project from Nongstoin-Pambriew-Wahkaji-Mawthabah was sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) at a cost of Rs 485.28 crore.
The construction work could not be started by the company since it is waiting for the NOC from the KHADC.
“We would soon write to the centre and the ministry concerned to considering doing away with the proposal to construct the two-lane road,” they said.
Stating that they are not against development, the leaders however said, “But a project which has such pre-motive cannot be accepted because it is not at all for the benefit of the people of the region.”
According to them, it is better for Mawthabah, which has at the most a total of only 10 households, to be happy with the existing road rather than inviting danger that can be detrimental to people and the environment.
Lyngdoh argued that if the government is so serious about developing the area then it should consider constructing the approximately 40 km road from Rangblang to Phlangdiloin, which connects several villages to the district headquarters in West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills.
“This road is much important than the proposed two-land road project because it would address the problems faced by the villagers in term of getting their work done at the C&RD blocks,” he said.
The leaders also alleged that the pro-project groups who have come in the name of traditional bodies, local youth organizations are the same people who have supported uranium mining since 2007.
“These are the same people who have supported uranium mining because they have been benefitted by the UCIL,” they alleged while adding the fact is that most of the headmen of the different villages are against the project.
Moreover, the leaders also said that these groups who are pro-two-lane project are associated with different political parties including the Congress and are trying to mislead the people of the region.
The KSU and the LYWA have also demanded the KHADC to refrain from granting any NOC to the company for construction of the road.
Recently, the KHADC have also constituted a committee to study the entire issue before giving its final decision on the matter.-By Our Reporter
Ngos. Who oppose two lanes Road from Nongstoin to Wahkaji Mawthabah are the anti development organizations
public need the road and development as the area is totally under develop, threre are no roads, no banks and no hospitals, many patience died on half way due of bad Road
All the peoples of the area need Road
We condemn The CEM