No clearance given yet for uranium exploration

Hyderabad: The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER) is reportedly finding it tough to fulfil the conditions imposed on it by the Telangana State Forest Department to carry out exploration and survey of the minerals in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve forest area.

According to Forest department sources, the directorate had earlier sought permission for conducting a preliminary survey and exploration to gaze the quantum of uranium available in the tiger reserve.

The Central agency had submitted that it wanted to carry out drilling holes at different points within the core area of 82 square kilometres of the tiger reserve spread in about 28000 square kilometres.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior forest official said the Atomic and Minerals Directorate had submitted its proposal in an old format.

Following this, a report was called from the field directorate of the tiger reserve and the report recommended against giving any permission.

However, an in-principle approval was given to the directorate imposing several conditions. They were told to submit their proposal as per the new format giving all the details of the points where they wanted to drill the holes.

Based on the approval given by the TS Forest department, the Forest Advisory Committee under the Union Environment Minister had also given its approval.

However, the Forest department later asked the central agency to submit details in the new format to the field office of the tiger reserve and the forest officials concerned at the district level.

The Forest department said, "For the sake of moving the machinery they are not allowed to cut trees or take up any clearing activities."

Once the minerals' directorate gives the points of drilling, the Forest department can pinpointedly identify whether the agency can fulfil the conditions or not, the source said.

As of now, the core area forest blocks in which they wanted to drill the boreholes have no existing path to move the heavy machinery without cutting the trees.

This means that the central agency cannot get any final approval to take up the exploration.