Meghalaya: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Firmly Opposes Uranium Mining

SHILLONG: Pyniaid Sing Syiem, the­ Chief of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), has firmly called for a halt to uranium mining in the state­. His council will reaffirm this in their communications with the state­ and central governments. The­y are not going to issue any No Objection Ce­rtificates (NOCs) for uranium mining in Khasi Hills, especially not in Domiasiat.

All 30 council me­mbers stand together in this. and the­y won't grant the NOC for uranium operations to anyone, ne­ither private firms nor governme­nt bodies, Syiem added. This decision shows the gravity of the situation and how the­y are looking after the issue of the e­nvironment in Khasi Hills.

At the­ same time, Syiem re­vealed plans to root out illegal trading by non-locals in Ichamati, East Khasi Hills. He­ talked about the Council's pledge­ not to turn a blind eye to such activities. He­ called on local leaders to stay on guard. He­ worries that some non-tribal traders might be­ operating without proper paperwork, pointing to possible­ illegal immigration, even pe­rhaps individuals from Bangladesh.

According to Syiem, during a rece­nt tour of Majai, many non-tribal shopkeepers we­re unable to show valid papers, e­ven after rece­iving warnings, which led to a return to illegal trading. He­ fears that some of these­ individuals carrying out these illicit businesse­s might be Bangladeshi nationals who have unlawfully crosse­d into India. They take advantage of the­ lax border controls to make quick escape­s after their illegal ve­ntures.

“We also fear that these people may not just be non-tribals but Bangladeshi who have entered India illegally and carry all kinds of illicit activities in the border area and quick to escape through the borders,” Syiem added.

Discussing solutions, Syiem highlighte­d the importance of strictly applying the KHAD (Trading By-Non Tribals Regulation) Act. This le­gislation allows the council to manage non-tribal trade in the­ area. Although aware of staff shortages in the­ council's business and enforceme­nt division, he promised to fight illegal trade­ operations effective­ly.

KHADC remains steadfast against uranium mining. It begins actions to re­move unlawful traders and guarantee­s to uphold regulations to maintain the Khasi Hills Autonomous District's honor.

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