Shillong, Meghalaya – The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has formally adopted a resolution to oppose a new central government memorandum that removes the necessity for public consultations before uranium mining can begin in tribal territories. The Council’s decision, taken during a session on October 22, directly challenges a policy that leaders argue poses a severe threat to indigenous rights and environmental safety.
The controversy stems from a September memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This directive exempts mining projects for atomic minerals, specifically uranium, from mandatory public hearings. The government justifies the change by classifying these minerals as critical and strategic resources under the amended Mines and Minerals Act of 2023, effectively fast-tracking their approval process.
KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Winston Tony Lyngdoh presented the resolution, asserting that the new policy undermines centuries-old tribal customs by allowing resource extraction without explicit community consent. Lyngdoh voiced alarm that proceeding without public input could expose local populations to serious health and ecological risks. The resolution formally requests that the tribal areas under the KHADC’s administration be entirely excluded from the scope of the Environment Ministry’s memorandum. The CEM disclosed that prior attempts to secure this exemption via letters to the ministry secretary had failed to yield a satisfactory reply.
However, the resolution’s current scope faced criticism from the Council’s opposition leader, Titosstarwell Chyne. Chyne argued that merely seeking an exemption for the Khasi Hills implicitly condones and sets a precedent for uranium mining in nearby tribal regions, specifically mentioning the Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills. Chyne urged the KHADC to push for a complete withdrawal of the memorandum, citing the consistent historical resistance to uranium extraction by indigenous communities across the state.
The opposition leader warned that eliminating public hearings is tantamount to silencing indigenous voices on crucial mining decisions that directly impact their ancestral lands. He stressed that the policy’s adverse effects are not confined by administrative borders but threaten the welfare of the entire state’s tribal population. Chyne concluded by noting that past efforts by the central government to initiate uranium mining operations in the region have been met with strong local opposition, demonstrating deep and widespread public concern over the environmental and social consequences of the industry.
