The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Fate of proposed uranium plant hangs in balance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 02, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Fate of proposed uranium plant hangs in balance

By S. Ramu

DEVARAKONDA (NALGONDA DT.), MARCH 1. The future of the Rs. 372-crore uranium processing plant proposed by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited hangs in the balance due to the opposition from peoples' representatives, environmental groups and, last but not least, local tribals.

The UCIL shifted the processing plant site from Mallapuram in Pedda Adisarlapally mandal to Seripally in Devarkonda mandal.

While the distance between the mining area, Peddagattu, and Mallapuram was 18 km, the proposed site is 55 km way from the former. "The present site, Seripally, is 28 km from Nagarjunasagar. Hence, there will not be any scope for water contamination,'' the UCIL's Chief Superintendent, Mechanical, Madhusudan Rao, observes.

Survaram sceptical

However, the Nalgonda MP and CPI general secretary, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, is not ready to buy the argument. "We oppose the proposal since the plant could create havoc in the event of floods,'' he told The Hindu on the phone from New Delhi on Tuesday.

``If the water that is used for processing of the ore leaks into Nagarjunsagar, it would be having a devastating impact on people. We don't want to see the project anywhere near Nagarjunasagar,'' he maintains.

Mr. Reddy has written to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the top brass of the UCIL expressing concern over the project. The local MLA, Ravindra Naik, says efforts are on to raise strong objection during the public hearing slated for March 3.

It may be recalled that people expressed strong resentment over the construction of the project during the public hearing conducted at Pedda Adisarlapally market yard on August 19, 2003. The UCIL desires to acquire 278 hectares of area (173 ha for processing plant, 80 ha for tailings disposal and 25 ha for township) from various survey numbers in Seripally and Mudigonda in Devarakonda mandal and Venkatampet in Chintapally mandal.

Of the total area required, 2.43 hectares is Government land, 80 ha belongs to the Forest Department and the balance is "private, dry patta land,'' according to UCIL officials.

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