Uranium Mining in Meghalaya
Why it matters?
The Union Environment Ministry has recently issued an Office Memorandum (OM) exempting the extraction of atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from the mandatory public consultation process.
What you should know?
Large deposits of uranium have been identified in Domiasiat and Wahkaji in Meghalaya.
Khasi groups have been opposing the exploration and extraction of these deposits since the 1980s.
The Office Memorandum (OM):
An OM is an executive instrument that is issued without independent scrutiny and can erode procedural safeguards.
The recent OM exempts the mining of several minerals, including uranium, from public consultation, reducing local communities to bystanders in decisions with profound consequences for them.
Constitutional Safeguards and Rights:
Local groups have called upon the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council to invoke its powers under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect tribal rights.
The government's move bypasses the principle of free, prior, and informed consent, which is considered a global norm for such resource extraction projects.
Implementing Agency:
The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) is the entity responsible for uranium mining.