Lok Sabha Question No. 1456 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: Uranium in Meghalaya
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: MEENAKASHI LEKHI, THOKCHOM MEINYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1456 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2015

## URANIUM IN MEGHALAYA

1456.  SHRIMATI  MEENAKASHI LEKHI: DR. THOKCHOM MEINYA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the status of Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawathabah (KPM) uranium project in Meghalaya;
- (b) whether any mining activities have been started there and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has been able to harness the full potential of existing uranium occurrence and production centres in the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the outcome in this regard; and
- (e) whether there is any proposal for Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for uranium mining in the region and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH) :

- (a)      Current status of Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong - Mawthabah Uranium Mining and Milling Project (Meghalaya) is given below:
- Detailed Project Report, Environmental Impact Assessment  (EIA)/ Environment Management Plan (EMP) and other technical documents have been prepared.
- Final  Environmental  Clearance from  Ministry  of  Environment  &  Forest has been obtained.
- Pre-project activities like construction of road and bridges from Wahkaji to Mawthabah have been taken up.
- Clearances  from  State  Govt.  regarding  Consent  for  Establishment, Transfer of land and Mining lease have not been received.

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-2-

- Activities are affected by continuous resistance by certain Non Government Organisations (NGOs).
- Several  neighborhood development activities  have  been  taken  up  like health care, aid for schools etc.

Steps have been taken to create positive public perception towards the project in   the prevailing environment.

- (b) No, Sir. Reasons are as at (a) above
- (c)&(d) Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) a Public Sector Enterprise under Department  of  Atomic  Energy  is  engaged  in  mining  and  processing  of uranium  ore  in  the  country.  It  has  achieved  success  in  meeting  the requirement of 8 reactors  with  an  installed  capacity  of  2400  MW.    UCIL  is operating seven uranium mines and two process plants in Jharkhand. Some of  these  units  are  under  capacity  augmentation. A large underground mine and process plant at Tummalapalle in Andhra Pradesh has been constructed.        In  addition,  a  new  underground  mine  and  plant  at  Gogi  in Karnataka,  open  pit  mine  at  KPM  in  Meghalaya,  one  open  pit  and  three underground  mines  at  Lambapur  in  Andhra  Pradesh,  and  one  uranium mining  project  in  Sikar  district  of  Rajasthan  are  in  different  stages  of implementation.

While there is no slackening of efforts to fully  harness all potentially viable uranium  resources,    factors  such  as  issues  related  to  land  acquisition, rehabilitation/resettlement  of  affected  persons,  environmental  sensitiveness due  to  proximity  of  drinking  water  sources,  reserve  forest/tiger  sanctuary, socio-political reasons, availability of water, environmental and forest clearances, public consensus etc. influence the decision on tapping unexplored resources  Mining  technology and economics are the important criteria  which  decide  the  exploitation    of  a    deposit  (uranium  occurrence). Based  on  these  criteria,  many  of  the  small  deposits  are  not  amenable  to mining at present.

- (e)     No Sir.