CSWO SLAMS AMD

SHILLONG, MAR 1: The Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) today slammed some officials of the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) over claims that uranium mining has nothing to do with pollution of rivers in the state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing demanded from the state government not to wait for companies that degrade the environment to make roads for the people.

“This is a very wild statement trying to fool the people of the State about uranium and uranium mining,” Kharshiing said.

Moreover, she said that uranium mining will leave behind tailing ponds which will be ‘live’ for thousands of years and takes time to disintegrate.

Kharshiing, while quoting some reports, pointed out that the amount of sludge produced is nearly the same as that of the ore milled.

“At a grade of 0.1% uranium, 99.9% of the material is left over. Apart from the portion of the Uranium removed, the sludge contains all the constituents of the ore. As long as lived decay products such as Thoriumm-230 and radium-226 are not removed, the sludge contains 85% of the initial radioactivity of the ore,” she said.

While reiterating its opposition against uranium mining in the state, Kharshiing said, “We urge the state government not to wait for companies that degrade the environment to make roads for the people of the state.”

She said the government should see the welfare and development of the state especially in the rural areas and not to depend on destructive companies who come and spread wrong reports about uranium and mining of the mineral.

According to her, governments that want to forcefully mine uranium, hide facts through these bogus officials who do not apply what they studied in their field and theory.

Referring to reports which quoted the AMD official saying that the ore is ‘good grade’, the CSWO president said, “By saying good grade, does it mean high and if high, it contradicts a research report done by NEHU, few years back which says low grade ore is found in Meghalaya, to prove less radiation.”