Date:12/08/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/12/stories/2003081204561200.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

'Proposed uranium plant will be safe'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Aug. 11. R. Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of the Uranium Corporation of India Limited, today asserted that the uranium mine and processing unit proposed to be set up in Nalgonda district would not have any adverse effect on the local residents, water of the Nagarjuna Sagar and Akkampalli reservoirs and flora and fauna in the Rajiv Gandhi Tiger Sanctuary.

Addressing a press conference here in the backdrop of the concerns expressed over the location of the plant and its impact on the environment, Mr. Gupta said far from the effect on the health of people, it would lead to socio-economic development by providing employment to 800 people, including 400 unskilled persons from the local area. He dismissed as incorrect, reports about radiation from tailing pond on the people of Jadugoda.

Work on the Rs. 500-crore project would begin by next year and completed in three years. Although the mine was adjacent to the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, the hydrological studies conducted as part of the environmental assessment study had established that the water (and uranium) would not reach it due to the almost impervious granite rock formations in the bedrock.

"Further, all mining and milling operations will be carried out with zero discharge concept," he said. What if there is a mishap? "There is no record of a mishap in an uranium mine," he asserted.

He said the water used in the mining for wetting of ore and rain water would be collected and sent to the effluent treatment plant to be located near the processing plant.

It was to safeguard the reservoir water that the processing plant was being located 18 km away in Dugyal/Mallapuram villages, he added.

As for the Akkampalli reservoir, the future drinking water source for Hyderabad, he said that since it was at an elevation of eight to ten metres from the processing plant and the uranium tailings pond, the water would not get into the reservoir.

But how about leaching? Mr. Gupta ruled out that possibility. Even the tiger sanctuary would not be affected as the mine and the processing plant would be located beyond the buffer zone boundary.

Similarly, there was no possibility of radiation from the uranium travelling hundreds of kilometres, he said.

The concentration of Radon gas coming out of the mine and tailings pond would be low.

There was no need for any apprehensions about increase in dust levels in the air as adequate wetting of ore would be ensured by sprinkling of water. Like in the present mines, dust levels along with radiation would be continuously monitored.

"We can assure that the Suspended Particulate Matter levels at the site will be much lower than those prevalent in many cities including Hyderabad."

Mr. Gupta said uranium was needed to meet the increasing fuel requirement of the nuclear power reactors and achieve the target of 20,000 MW by the year 2020. The 14 existing reactors had an installed capacity of 2720 MW.