By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 26: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Guwahati) has not yet responded to the state government’s request to conduct a study on alleged leakage from concrete uranium effluent tanks and resultant high radiation level at Nongbah Jynrin in South West Khasi Hills.
“We had sent them (IIT-Guwahati) a reminder but have not yet got a response. They should have responded by now,” Chief Secretary, MS Rao said on Friday.
Last year, the state government had asked NEHU and IIT-G to carry out separate studies at the site. The NEHU has since submitted its report to the government.
“They (IIT-Guwahati) said they will revert after exams. We are waiting,” Rao said.
The report of NEHU expert committee revealed radiation levels at source and nearby villages/habitations were within safety limits.
A six-member NEHU team, under the chairmanship of Prof B Myrboh in the Department of Chemistry, had visited the site on November 10 last year. The NEHU report was received by the government on December 17. Subsequently an interactive session on the report was held on January 20 under Rao’s chairmanship.
Earlier, the KHADC had joined some pressure groups in demanding the constitution of an independent body to probe the matter. The pressure groups had asserted that they had no trust in the agencies engaged by the government.
In September last year, the locals claimed an “explosion” in a concrete tank with toxic effluents, alarming pressure groups, environmentalists, NGOs, political parties and the government among others.
Later, NEHU and IIT-Guwahati were asked to conduct the studies. The government had also sought the views of Atomic Mineral Directorate, North East Region. The directorate, in its report, had denied explosion or leakage.
However, the locals claimed the radiation level at a nearby rivulet of Phud Syngkai was higher than that of the source. This made the government to go for a separate study on rocks and sediments. Geologists visited the site and collected samples. Chemical analysis is being undertaken by the DMR and the report will be submitted shortly.