SHILLONG, Feb 5: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has refused to accept the findings of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on the reported leakage from uranium effluent tanks and resultant high radiation level at Nongbah Jynrin in South West Khasi Hills.
“We cannot accept the report of the NEHU and we reject it,” KSU president, Lambokstar Marngar said on Friday.
Alleging that the Atomic Minerals Department (AMD) had earlier tried to use NEHU to facilitate and mislead people in Domiasiat area for uranium mining, the KSU president said, “We cannot trust the team from the NEHU. We had suggested the state government earlier to get the matter studied by an independent team.”
“They are monitored by the Government of India. But, we need a team that is not affiliated to any government institution. We need independent experts,” Marngar insisted.
He further said that the KSU will go through the report of the IIT, Guwahati as and when it is ready and discuss it with independent experts.
While the NEHU submitted its report to the government last month, the IIT, Guwahati is yet to carry out its study.
The report of the NEHU expert committee revealed that radiation at source and nearby villages/habitations are within the safety levels. But, a statement from the Joint Secretary, State Revenue and Disaster Management Department, said the committee found the radiation level to be higher at a rivulet, Phud Syngkai, which is about 100 feet away from the source, and as such, a separate study would be carried out there.
