VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) on Friday issued directions to Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) following submission of report by the expert committee which inspected Uranium Mines on September 9 and 10. UCIL was asked to form an environment management committee headed by senior officials trained in environmental issues and provide impervious discharge channels or use hosepipes to prevent erosion of the abutments and consequent seepage.
In all 14 directions were issued. It was directed to share historical records of groundwater levels and detailed water quality characteristics from all monitoring boreholes and surrounding villages (including baseline data), rise in tailing pond level since the beginning of operations and the associated increase in surface area, inflow, and outflow characteristics of the slurry (flowrate, solid content, U and Na and other heavy metal concentrations, pH, TDS etc) to and from the tailings pond.
APPCB asked UCIL to provide fencing to secure the entire area with an adequate display of cautionary boards to ensure the safety of humans and livestock from undue exposure to hazardous materials. The UCIL was also asked to submit the compliance of the EC, CFE and CFO conditions with photographs and videos. The protective lining should cover all the surfaces that are exposed to the tailings. Further, the mining company was directed to complete the greenbelt development of 360 hectares in two years.