Yadgir district in-charge to meet Chief Minister today Residents of Gogi village and surrounding places, along with local legislators, have strongly opposed uranium mining by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL) in their village in Yadgir district and have demanded that the Government cancel the project, which they fear will cause health hazards. Yadgir district in-charge Raju Gowda, who is also the Minister of Small-Scale Industries, is set to meet Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda on Thursday to request him to not give his consent for the project. On Wednesday, Mr. Raju Gowda held a meting with representatives of Gogi village, local legislators, scientists and experts on the UCIL project and told presspersons that he would take a delegation to the Chief Minister seeking cancellation of permission granted for uranium mining at Gogi. The State Government had given in-principle approval for the project in July 2011. UCIL was seeking permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and other agencies for environmental clearance. More petitions The Western Ghats Task Force too received several petitions opposing the project. UCIL had undertaken mining activities on exploratory basis, Mr. Raju Gowda said. The Government agreed in-principle to allot 102 hectares to UCIL for mining in Gogi, where rich deposit of uranium was found. While acknowledging that a few farmers had already agreed to part with their lands for the project, the Minister said the farmers had agreed to give their lands without knowing the adverse consequences of mining on health. ‘Extensive damage' He said that if UCIL was allowed to take up uranium activities in a radius of over 100 km in Gogi and surrounding villages, it would turn fertile lands barren. “The project will cause immense damage to the environment, wildlife and plants,” the Minister said. UCIL has dug a 273 m deep tunnel into the ground to extract uranium, and the effluents generated were being discharged into a nearby tank. “The consumption of tank water by people and cattle resulted into grievous health problems in the area,” Mr. Raju Gowda said. The residents of Gogi village have already experienced radiation-related health problems, he added. UCIL, a Union Government undertaking, is engaged in exploratory mining for uranium in Gogi village in Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district since 2007. The exploratory mining revealed the presence of rich deposit of uranium in the village which was situated on the bank of Bhima. Exploratory mining is being carried out in an area of 32 hectares on the outskirts of the village, the Minister said. Residents and farmers fear mining will adversely affect health and environment Western Ghats Task Force has received several petitions opposing the project