YADGIR: After a committee comprising Dr Madhukavi and cancer specialist Dr Shekhar Patil opined that the proposed uranium mining at Gogi village in Shahapur taluk in the district would have drastic effects on the health of the local people, chairman of Western Ghats Task Force Anant Hegde Ashisara, in his report submitted to the state government on October 12, reiterated the opinion of the former.
In a 15-page report submitted to Environment Minister Krishna J Palemar and District In-charge Minister Rajugowda, Ashisara recommended to review the project.
He said that the proposed uranium mining at the Gogi uranium extraction unit would directly have impacts on both the health of locals and the environment.
The report is based on study at ground zero and interaction with Gogi villagers on September 10.
Quoting the opinions of Dr Madhukavi and Dr Shekhar Patil, Ashisara said that the drinking water the Gogi villagers and surrounding villagers were consuming contains fluoride which is causing dangerous diseases including disability, cancer and skin diseases.
“Radon, which is considered a health hazard due to its radioactivity, emerges from uranium waste and causes cancer,” Ahisara said quoting the report.
He recommended to send a team of environment experts to the village to study environment pollution.
Quoting the allegation of villagers that local Pollution Control Board officials were not taking measures to prevent water pollution, he said there was a need to prevent water pollution as wastage of uranium unit, which was already started in small scale, contaminating with the water sources.
He said that villagers were urging to cancel the report submitted by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UICL) terming the report as ‘false.’
Ashisara also recommended the stoppage of land acquirement at the village for the uranium mining as the UICL was examining tidings that there might be uranium mines on the banks of Bheema river in Sedam taluk of Bijapur district. He recommended to suspend land acquirement by the district administration until the concern of the people is solved and until the Union government gives its permission to the project.
Local environmentalists Yallayya Nayaka Vanadurga and Chandrashekhar told The New Indian Express that they would start an agitation if the governments do not consider the recommendations of Ashisara.