‘Uranium exploration discontinued in 2018’

SHILLONG, Sep 21: The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Hyderabad has discontinued exploration of uranium in the state since 2018.
Disclosing this information obtained through RTI, activist Disparsing Rani on Wednesday said the AMD had started uranium exploration in Meghalaya (then under Assam) in 1955-56 and continued till July, 2018.
Informing that the KHADC has issued a no objection certificate to the AMD in 2012, Rani said the Directorate calculated that the state had 23,268 tonnes of uranium oxide.
As per the RTI documents, the AMD had established seven uranium deposits in Domiasiat, Wahkyn-Wahkut, Gomaghat-Phlangdiloin, Tyrnai, Lostoin and Umthongkut in South West Khasi Hills district. “The joint inquiry instituted by the state government was a waste of public money since there is no proof that the officers had gone for testing or digging in the uranium mining site,” Rani said.
Meghalaya has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of sandstone-type uranium deposits, which is 16 per cent of the country’s total reserves and third-highest after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.