Opposing the uranium mining in Telangana's Nallamala forests, the state Assembly has passed an unanimous resolution urging the Union government to withdraw the proposal.
The development came following massive response and concerns raised by people from different walks of life. All parties have backed the resolution put forward by the state Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) on behalf of the government on Monday.
While addressing Congress floor leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka's concerns Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said that the government will "not accord" any permission to uranium mining in Nallamala forests and assured that he will bring a resolution on the same.
Minister KTR while proposing the resolution said that the state assembly is urging the Central government to withdraw the decision to take up uranium mining in the Nallamala forest which is rich in biodiversity.
He pointed out, “Tiger, panther, sloth bear ,neelgai, spotted deer, bears and several species are surviving in Nallamala, along with rare medicinal plants, lakhs of types of trees exist in this forest, and aboriginal Chenchus rely on the forests, the waterfalls which flow through tall hills is catchment for Krishna river."
He further said, "Doing uranium mining in the forests, which are home to bio diversity will affect the environmental balance, there is a potential threat to the very existence of the humans along with all species."
KTR also said that there are possibilities of pollution of soil, water and air due to radiation results from uranium mining, while noting that the past experiences of uranium mining in developed countries were bitter.
He said that the state government understands the fears of people of Telangana over uranium mining in Nallamala while seeking withdrawal of the proposal to mine uranium in Nallamala by the central government.
With the permission of the Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Minister KTR moved the resolution. "This House unanimously resolves to request the Union Government of India to not to permit or allow the mining operations of Uranium in Nallamala forest area of Telangana"
The region in the state is witnessing tension following agitations by rights and political parties against uranium mining.
Earlier in May, a proposal was considered by the Forest Advisory Committee after the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently recommended an 'in-principle' approval to the Department of Atomic Energy for survey and exploration of uranium in over 83 square kilometres of land in Nallamala's Amrabad Reserve Forest area.The FAC in its approval noted that there were 'certain deficiencies' in the proposal by the DEA – but went ahead and gave the permission for exploration anyway.