Andhra CM puts brakes on proposal for uranium exploration

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Nov 13 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has put brakes on a proposal to undertake uranium exploration in the Kappatralla reserve forest area in Kurnool district, offering relief to agitating villagers, an official said on Wednesday.

Kurnool District Collector P. Ranjit Basha announced through a statement on Tuesday night that the Chief Minister had issued orders to halt the proposal for digging borewells to assess the availability of uranium in the district.

Collector Basha said, “As per CM’s instructions, there would be no digging of borewells to assess the availability of uranium in the reserve forest area.”

People of nearly 12 villages in Devanakonda mandal have been staging protests against the proposal to dig borewells in the Kappatralla reserve forest area.

Last week, hundreds of people from these villages staged a protest at the Kurnool Collectorate, voicing concern over the likely impact of uranium mining on their livelihood.

The Collector and Superintendent of Police G. Bindhu Madhav had clarified that no digging activity was taking place.

The SP had asked villagers not to believe in rumours and promised to act against the culprits spreading false information on social media platforms.

The district administration had also proposed a meeting two days ago to address the villagers’ concerns but the protestors boycotted it and decided to intensify their agitation.

The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), under the Department of Atomic Energy ((DAE), had proposed to take up drilling of 68 bores in 468.25 hectares of reserve forest area of Kappatralla under the Adoni range for exploring the presence of uranium reserves.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a notification on June 26, 2023, to give approval for the conduct of a survey for uranium reserves in the area.

The officials of the AMD, along with the local revenue and forest authorities, started preparations for drilling last month.

Resistance from people in the surrounding villages started when a group of youth started a campaign to create awareness on the possible ill-effects of uranium exploration.

Leaders of the opposition YSR Congress Party and the Left parties were also backing the people’s protest.