SHILLONG, Feb 1: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, on Monday, informed that IIT-Guwahati has communicated positively and will soon conduct and in-depth inquiry into the allegations of leakage at uranium effluent tank and high radiation level at Nongbah Jynrin in South West Khasi Hills.
“IIT-Guwahati has communicated positively and they are going to undertake the detailed investigation, which can be done only after they are done with their examination,” Tynsong informed on Monday.
The North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), which was assigned to study alleged leakage from the effluent tanks, has already submitted its report to the state government.
Last year, the Meghalaya government had asked NEHU and IIT-Guwahati to carry out separate studies at the site. Later, some individuals had claimed that there is high radiation level in the area, which is potentially harmful for humans.
The report of the NEHU expert committee, which probed the alleged uranium leakage from concrete effluent tanks, has revealed that the radiation levels at source and the nearby villages/habitations are within the safety levels.
A six-member team under the chairmanship of Prof B Myrboh, department of chemistry, NEHU, had visited the site on November 10 last year. The report of the NEHU committee was received by the state government on December 17, 2020.
An interactive session on the report was held on January 20, 2021, under the chairmanship of the state chief secretary.
Earlier, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) had joined in with some pressure groups in demanding the constitution of an independent body to probe the matter.
The pressure groups had asserted they had no trust in the agencies engaged by the government.
In September, the locals reported an “explosion” in a concrete tank with toxic effluents. This made the pressure groups, NGOs, environmentalists, political parties and even the state government to swing into action.
Subsequently, NEHU and IIT were asked to conduct the studies.
