Drop uranium mining in Nallamala forest

Since a couple of months, in both states -Telangana and Andhra Pradesh- dharnas, protests, boycotts, rallies, debates and arguments have been seriously moving around the controversial issue, uranium mining in the Nallamala forest.

In fact, to mine uranium from the Amrabad area in the Nallamala forest, the forest is not only the forest of mere trees, but is the place for distinct species of flora and fauna, including 22 tigers and around about 500 indigenous Chenchu tribals.

And also, the same forest is the place through which a canal connected to the Nagarjunasagar Project passes carrying water to 60 per cent people of Hyderabad.

Thus, now, besides the uproars about it in the state of Telangana, the issue has also gained a huge attention of the national and international media arousing a fire in all to raise their voices against it.

Because, it is going to harm people; pollute water; and destroy the flora and fauna, and other things which would depend on the forest for several reasons.

Therefore, it is the right time to react against the issue and to cease it not to materialise in the interest of environment and the majority of lives.

But, instead of coming to a consensus, the politicians at the state and at the national level started playing a blame game by throwing stones one on the other to escape from the bizarre issue; as it is being immensely opposed by the majority sections include, intellectuals, scientists, social activists, NGOs and other responsible citizens, who have witnessed the two ever worst nuclear accidents in the world: (1) 26th April 1986's accident in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Russia, and (2) the 2011's Fukushima Dalichi nuclear disaster in Japan are considered to be the worst nuclear disasters in the history of the International Nuclear Event Scale.

I think, If uranium mining is stopped, no law would punish the Indian government. Moreover, it is not at all a rule to mine whatever elements are available in the earth. But, in the interest of nation's development, the government can take a decision on its own without disturbing the lives of people.

Hence, if the government would like to use uranium in the production of power and in other things, instead of using uranium, the government can go for using other means of alternatives to produce power through hydel projects, solar systems, and through wind mills.

As there are many other options through which power can also be produced, then what is the need of emphasizing more on uranium, which is a dreadful element causes so much damage to the human kind.

Albeit, it is not the time to play the blame games to throw stones one on the other to get away from a fateful situation; but is the need of the hour to all of us to get on to one platform to safe-guard the environment by saving the Nallamala forests and people living around it.

So as, such fightings will surely send positive signals to the coming generations that it is how they would also protest against injustice, when it would happen.

Dr Venkat Avula, Hyderabad