Discolouration, death of fish due to uranium mining: KSU
SHILLONG: After the mass death of fish in River Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills, the water body is now bearing the brunt of uranium mining that has led to change in colour.
This was informed by Ranikor KSU circle president Marconi Thongni during a press conference on Friday.
Thongni said on February 9, a complaint was made by them about the colour change and the fish dying in the river. “We were informed that the district administration authority has directed the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) to investigate the matter and death of fish in 2010,” he added.
He alleged that the aquatic life was affected by the drilling works that started in 2010.
“We demand that the State Government should immediately order AMD (Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, under the Department of Atomic Energy) to cover the holes drilled in several places at Porkut forest areas so that it does not affect aquatic life,” said Thongni.
The Rilang and the Wah Blei converge to form the Ranikor. “The Wah Blei has become unfit for human consumption but the Rilang has not been affected. We urge the Government to order AMD to cover the drilled holes which has led to the death of fish due to uranium mining,” he added.
The KSU president further added that the union has no responsibility to investigate the reason of the discolouration. However, it is usually during monsoon that the fish are affected.
Refuting the State Pollution Control Board’s findings that the death of fish was due to coal mining, he alleged that for 21 years, when coal mining was going on, there was no such incident. “During heavy downpour the drilled holes would overflow with water which then washes down to the Wah Blei,” Thongni said. The KSU Ranikor will decide its course of action after the Board submits its report.
