The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Committee (KHADC) has declared that storage of the uranium waste are dangerous for the people, as investigation over the uranium tanks in Nongbah Jynrin, South West Khasi Hills will take long.

Lamphrang Blah, Mawphlang MDC, Carnes Sohshang Mawkyrwat MDC and village leaders were present during the inspection of the concrete tanks from the area by the House Committee of the Council. The declaration came after the inspection was done.

Cracks and radiation leakages were found that were recently mended in the two-decade-old uranium tanks, informed by Gigur Myrthong, Chairman of the Committee and Deputy CEM of the KHADC, to the committee.

A concern over the “unsatisfactory” storage of uranium wastes was raised by Bindo M Lanong, a member of the Committee.

He said in his concern, “We will take the issue seriously as the way they dumped and stored the uranium wastes was not satisfactory. I have been to Jaduguda (in Jharkhand) and observed the way they store wastes using proper fencing, underneath the earth and declared as a ‘Protected Area’ barred from public reach”.

The State Government, The Atomic Minerals Division (AMD) and the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) will be informed about the unacceptable storage of uranium wastes by the House Committee along with the Executive Committee of the Council, informed Lanong.