Ghatshila: Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) CMD Kacham Anand Rao has rejected allegations that radiation from uranium mines and processing plants in Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region is responsible for health problems such as skin diseases, cancer and birth defects. Speaking in Jadugoda on Tuesday, Rao attributed such illnesses mainly to local conditions and what he described as the region’s backwardness, while referring to scientific studies that, he said, found no link between Uranium mining and the diseases reported in the area.
UCIL Operates Seven Uranium Mines in Jharkhand
Rao said the Uranium ore mined in Jharkhand has a low grade, with only around 200–300 grams of Uranium recovered from one tonne of ore. UCIL currently operates seven mines in the state including underground mines at Bagjata, Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar, Turamdih and Mohuldih, besides the open cast mine at Banduhurang. He said the radiation levels in the mining areas were low and that processed material left after uranium extraction had radioactivity below prescribed limits.
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The issue, however, has remained a point of concern among local groups and social rights activists for decades. They have alleged that radiation and waste from Uranium mines and processing facilities affect nearby communities and contribute to diseases including cancer, tuberculosis and congenital abnormalities. Uranium mining began at Jaduguda in 1964, making it the country’s first underground uranium mine, while the ore processing plant started operations there in 1968. UCIL said it has been conducting awareness programmes among local residents to address concerns about Uranium mining.
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BARC Official Says Worker Exposure Is Below Limit
A health physics official from the Environmental Survey Laboratory of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Dr. N.K. Shetty, said studies had found radiation conditions at the Uranium mines to be safe. He said the annual radiation exposure of workers was considerably below the prescribed limit of 20 millisieverts and described the environmental impact of six decades of mining activity as negligible. A 47 year old UCIL worker, Sai Prasad, who has worked at Narwapahar for 18 years, also said neither he nor his family had experienced any illness that he associated with radiation exposure.
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