The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Uranium Corporation of India Limited’s (UCIL) attempts to clear the air over the Gogi uranium mine in Yadgir met with protests by residents of the district who travelled to Bangalore en masse to voice their displeasure.
At a workshop on nuclear energy and uranium Mining held at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) office in Bangalore on Friday, the residents of Yadgir raised issues like contamination of ground water and usurping of available water resources by UCIL for washing ore.
These allegations were answered by a panel of scientists and employees of the DAE and the Executive Director of UCIL NM Bahl. “It is proposed to produce 150000 t/yr Run of Mine (ROM) from Gogi. The mine will have an approximate life of 15 years. The cost of the project is `550 crore,” Bahl said. The mine area will be spread over 39. 133 hectares,. However, KSPCB clearance and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) clearance is currently pending. At present, the DAE is searching for uranium in two regions in the state, including Bhima and Kaladgi basins.