"We work within international safety limits, and the only thing that we did wrong was that we did not do our own propaganda properly and at the right time," KK Beri, UCIL Technical Director

Defying a report in which the environment committee of the Bihar Legislative Assembly described the situation at the Jadugoda Uranium Mine as "deplorable", UCIL (Uranium Corporation of India Limited) is attempting to build a fourth tailings dam on top of the villages of the local people. The Indian Supreme Court has agreed to hear a public interest suit which accuses the nuclear industry of callous disregard for the health and well-being of tens of thousands of people living close to the nation's only working uranium mine.

India's little known uranium nightmare could soon be dragged into the public eye, but while the wheels of justice grind slowly, the local Adivasis (tribal people) are again confronting the spectre of bulldozers in their villages as UCIL prepares to construct the new tailings dam.

Former UCIL staff offer reassuring statements to the effect that "there is no radiation or any related health problem" at Jaduguda. The area's catastrophic infant mortality, cancer, tuberculosis and skin disease epidemics are put down to alcoholism, genetic inferiority of the people or malnutrition.

Citing a JOAR (Jharkhandi Organisation Against Radiation) survey of women in a one-kilometre radius of the dumping grounds, JOAR President Ghanshyam Biruli said 43 percent of pregnancies had failed to go to term, while 17 percent had resulted in stillbirths. All the women suffered from disrupted menstrual cycles and fatigue.

"A third have fertility problems, while 70 percent of 2,500 inhabitants in three villages near the dumpyards have tuberculosis," Biluri said, adding that around 100 children had been diagnosed with skin, lung or blood cancer.

Nuclear waste from around India are sent to the Adivasi homelands and dumped in the tailings dams, criminal actions which are still denied by the Indian government.

The Indian government is one of the last on Earth to heavily promote an expanded nuclear power programme, and it is seeking to expand sources of supply. It recently announced that operations would commence at the Domiasiat deposit in the West Khasi Hills region of Meghalaya. The deposit is expected to yield around 10,000 tonnes of uranium and is already opposed by the local people. The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC - local government body) has steadfastly opposed any move to open the area for uranium mining so far.

The Adivasis need our support: see how we can help.

• BACK TO 'ATOMIC INDIA'

click for larger images