Despite Fears Of Threat To Krishna River & Tiger Reserve, Uranium Mining In Nallamala Okayed
The Central Government has given in-principle permission for exploration of uranium in Nallamala Forest in Telangana. This has concerned locals tribals and environmentalist up in arms against the decision. Environmentalists fear that the mining activities could drive away animals like tigers deer sloth bears wild dogs spotted deer sambhar and wild boars.
The 'in-principle' permission by the Central Government for exploration of uranium in Nallamala Forest in Telangana has concerned locals, tribals, and environmentalist up in arms against the decision.
Last week the Union ministry of environment and forests gave permission to the Uranium Mining Corporation to begin mining in the area.
Following this, the Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration And Research has reportedly begun digging wells inside the Nallamala Forest in search of uranium.
This has some 430 Chenchu tribal families which have lived there all these years worried over their future. They feel that the constant digging and blasts as part of the explorations will make their homes inhabitable.
It is not just the residents that are under threat from mining. Nallamala Forest is part of Amrabad Tiger Reserve, which, is the second-largest tiger reserve in India. According to the Tiger Census conducted last year there were a total of 17 big cats in the reserve.
Environmentalists fear that the mining activities could drive away animals like tigers, deer, sloth bears, wild dogs, spotted deer, sambhar and wild boars from the reserve.
Another major concern, environmentalists have raised is about River Krishna. The mining is happening at a place which is just 0.5 km from the catchment area of the Krishna.
Environmentalist Bolisetty Satyanarayana said that the exploration could result in River Krishna being polluted with radioactive waste which is discharged from the mining.
This will be particularly bad for the residents of Hyderabad and several other towns as Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam reservoirs on River Krishna is one of the biggest sources of drinking water for them.
¡°The radioactive substances of mining would be dangerous to the lives of the people. The damage is much higher than the benefits of uranium mining in the Nallamala area. There is a need to protect water as the scarcity of water has been increasing day-by-day,¡± Satyanarayana said.
Environmentalists are now planning to approach the National Green Tribunal against the government order which allowed the mining.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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