SHILLONG, Dec 27: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has followed some pressure groups in demanding the constitution of an independent body to probe alleged leakage from concrete uranium effluent tanks at Nongbah Jynrin in South West Khasi Hills.
The state government engaged the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and the IIT-Guwahati to carry out separate studies at the site. The NEHU is expected to submit its report within this month, while the IIT-Guwahati is likely to conduct a study in January.
There are allegations galore about high radiation level in and around the area following the incident.
The demand of the pressure groups to get the matter probed by an independent body stems from their lack of trust in the agencies engaged by the government.
“We demand that the matter is probed by an independent body which will not be influenced by anybody,” KHADC CEM, Titosstarwell Chyne, said.
He said the KHADC had constituted its own committee, headed by the Deputy CEM.
“I am yet to receive the report of the enquiry committee. We will follow up the matter as soon as we receive it,” he said.
He also said that the KHADC had written to the state government requesting it to ensure that the agencies submit their reports early.
“We said the agencies should not delay in submitting their reports since the matter is of grave concern,” Chyne said even as he made it clear that the KHADC would never issue the no-objection certificate for uranium mining.
Earlier, the Khasi Students’ Union had said that it would not accept the reports of the ongoing probe undertaken by the “dependent agencies” stating that “facts can be hidden”.