KSU blames uranium exploration works

Death of aquatic lives in Ranikor river

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Feb 17: Negating the Meghalaya Pollution Control Board (MPCB)’s findings that the change in colour of the Ranikor river and death of aquatic lives is due to unscientific coal mining, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Ranikor unit blamed the Atomic Mineral Division (AMD)’s uranium exploration works for the same.

“The AMD has not filled the exploration pits and the spillover from these pits in Porkut is seen as the main reason for the alteration in the water colour and death of aquatic lives in Ranikor river,” stated the President of the KSU Ranikor unit, Marconi Thongni. The KSU leader refuted the MPCB findings that the unscientific coal mining is the sole cause for the unprecedented occurrence that starts with the onset of the first rain.

He said the water from the coal mining areas in Umsur-Kulang belt does not flows down to Wahblei- a tributary of the Ranikor river, besides asserting that the state government should asked the MPCB to carry out fresh investigations into the matter related to environmental hazards.

Thongni said, “There is no mining since the NGT ban, how come the water turned green since decemeber last year”.

The Government should ask the AMD to fill those exploration pits and conduct a fresh enquiry into the matter, the KSU leader stated. He further informed that the Rilang river, a tributary of Ranikor is in its pristine blue form while the Wahblei(another tributary) has turned in green.