Movement Against Uranium Project
540, Road No.12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad-500 034.
Tel Nos. 2332 1350; 9393366000; E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Summary of Proceedings of Environmental Public Hearing (EPH)
Held on 3 rd March 2005 for relocation of
Uranium Processing Plant of UCIL at Seripally, Nalgonda District, AP State
About MAUP
The Movement Against Uranium Project (MAUP) is a
confederation of some of the concerned individual citizens and
voluntary organizations, from Nallagonda District and Hyderabad
Metropolitan Area, which are likely to be affected by adverse
environmental impacts and health hazards of the proposed Uranium
Mining and Processing projects of M/S Uranium Corporation of India
Limited (UCIL) in Nallagonda district. The main objective of the MAUP
is to mobilize Public Opinion, and to speak in One Voice on major
issues, where there is lack of transparency or neglect of
environmental and public health considerations, in the decision
making process, with respect to the proposed Uranium Mining and
Processing Projects. It is a member of the national alliance "mines,
minerals & PEOPLE" (mm&P).
Environmental Public Hearing (EPH) on 3 rd March 2005.
MAUP had been objecting to holding of EPH on 3 rd March
for relocation of the Uranium Processing Plant at Seripally, as there
was no proper information provided to the public about the final
decision taken regarding the Mining Project at Lambapur- Peddagattu,
abutting Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir that had been overwhelmingly
opposed by MAUP and many other organizations and individuals
including the local population at the EPH held on 19th August 2003.
However, the authorities concerned had gone ahead with the EPH on 3
rd March 2005 for relocation of Processing Plant from Mallapuram to
Seripally. This only indicates outright denial of information to the
public, lack of transparency and utter disregard for public opinion,
on the part of the authorities concerned.
The Proceedings of EPH
The site selected for EPH was the open area on top of a
small hillock, with inadequate and shoddy arrangements, and was found
to be inconvenient for many of the local people to reach the place.
Inspite of this, about 1,500 villagers and other concerned citizens
and civil society groups at the state and national levels, attended
the EPH, under the heavy presence of Police force at the site. All
through the proceedings, the villagers vociferously expressed their
opposition to the project by shouting slogans and exhibiting placards
and banners.
The proceedings of the EPH was set in motion by
Nallagonda District Collector at 11.10 AM. After the introductory
remarks of the District Collector, the Panel including Official and
Non-official members was announced. The UCIL official explained the
salient features of the project in English, which was translated into
Telugu by one Mr. Murthy, who is the consultant appointed by UCIL for
preparing REIA of the project.
In the midst of the proceedings, the UCIL official
one Mr.Malhotra was taking photographs of all the activists of MAUP
sitting in the front, particularly the women members. When some
members objected to this, Mr..Malhotra even hit one of the women
members of MAUP. Many participants protested against this indecent
behavior and brought it to the notice of the District Collector who
admonished them and asked all UCIL employees to come back on to the
dais.
Participation in EPH Proceedings
About 60 speakers expressed their views during the
EPH, out of which 58 speakers objected to both Uranium Mining Project
at Lambapur-Peddagattu and the location of Processing Plant at
Seripally while merely two speakers supported the projects. The
speakers are from all walks of life - Jurists, Senior Journalists,
Scientists, Social Scientists, Doctors, Engineers, Teachers,
Environmentalists, Human Rights and Women Rights Activists apart from
the representatives of Political parties, both right and left wing
parties.
Some of the prominent participants were Justice Lakshmana
Rao, former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Dr. Surender
Gadekar and Dr.Sanghamitra of Sampurna Kranti Vidyalaya, Gujarat,
Praful Bidwai of CNDP, Dr. Rama Rao of Jana Vignana Vedika, Mr.
Ravindra Kumar, CPI MLA Devarakonda etc. The letter written by Mr.
S.Sudhakar Reddy, CPI Member of Loksabha from Nallagonda, to the
Prime Minister opposing the Uranium Projects, which was received by
Fax message, was read out at the EPH.
Justice Lakshmana Rao set the EPH agenda in correct
perspective by explaining the Constitutional position, the impacts of
Uranium projects with respect to Air, Water, Soil contamination and
consequently the entire food-chain. He opposed the Uranium Mining
Project vehemently, as it is being located just about a kilometer and
a half from Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir, which is bound to be
contaminated by waste waters, the mine tailings and the run-off from
the open cast mines. The entire Krishna Basin down stream of N-S
Reservoir affecting 5 districts and the drinking water to Hyderabad
city are going to be contaminated.
Objections Raised by MAUP and Others in Writing
Right to Clean Drinking Water
The relocation of the processing plant is proposed,
keeping in mind the Supreme Court judgment on the water reservoir
Himayatsagar, as the originally proposed site falls within the 10 km
radius of N.S Reservoir. Therefore our serious anxiety is about how
the government's recklessness in proposing and wanting to permit the
Uranium Mining Project at Lambapur-Peddagattu plateau, which is of a
most hazardous nature and abutting the Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir
limits even in violation of the Supreme Court judgment and the
Precautionary Principle. The Supreme Court has clearly established
that the right to access safe drinking water is fundamental to life
and there is a duty on the State, under Art 21 of the Constitution,
to provide clean drinking water to its citizens. We question the
grounds on which the government can assure the above right when
permitting Uranium Mining at this site abutting Nagarjuna Sagar
Reservoir.
If it is bad for Mallapuram, How can it be good for Seripally?
As the EPH on 3 rd March 2005 was conducted to relocate
the proposed Uranium Processing Plant from Mallapuram-Dguyal to
Seripally in Devarakonda mandal, the public has the right to know how
the concerns that were raised at the former site are being attended
and overcome at Seripally, particularly with regard to the disposal
of mine waste and the hazards from the mine tailings ponds.
Hazards of Processing Plant at Seripally
Even though the processing plant is about 20 KM from
Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir, the contaminated Run-off from the area and
the overflows of tailing ponds either due to breaches or heavy rains
are bound to find their way to the nearby water bodies which
ultimately drain into Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir.
Hazards of Transportation of Uranium Ore
The Uranium Ore from Lambapur-Peddagattu mines will have
to be transported over 50 Kms to the Processing Plant at Seripally,
passing through a number of villages and tribal hamlets and along the
State High Way to some extent, the hazards of which have not been
assessed and evaluated.
Inadequacy of REIA
The REIA prepared for the Processing Plant at Seripally does
not provide the required essential Base Line Data, is grossly
inadequate, and misrepresents some of the important issues, which
were highlighted in the critique to the REIA.
Conclusion
At the end of the proceedings, despite the demand from the
speakers and the public to announce the verdict of EPH Panel, the
District Collector merely said that the minutes of the proceedings
were recorded and that the entire session was video graphed and would
be submitted to APPCB. It is not known whether the views of EPH Panel
members will be recorded and sent to APPCB? It is also not known
whether the entire proceedings were recorded and video graphed and
whether the unedited version will be sent to APPCB or not.
After the two public hearings of 19th August 2003 and 3rd
March 2005, which are a clear demonstration of the public's and the
local communities' complete opposition to the project and keeping in
view the hazardous nature of the contamination imminent to Nagarjuna
Sagar Reservoir Waters and its long term adverse impacts on almost
one third of the population of the State, the State Government,
instead of merely forwarding the proceedings of the EPH to MoE&F,
should categorically reject the Uranium projects, and convey the
people's verdict to the Government of India.
Conveners:
Capt. J.Rama Rao Dr. Satyalakshmi
Ravi Rebbapragada
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