HRF demands Assembly motion against uranium mining
RF members interacting with the residents of Kapatralla village on Wednesday
Pathikonda (Kurnool district) : The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government pass a clear resolution in the state Assembly stating that no uranium exploration or extraction will take place in the Kappatrala reserve forest, located in Devanakonda mandal of Kurnool dis-trict. The HRF insisted that the government’s assurance of halting such activities until further orders is merely a temporary relief, and the threat of uranium mining in the region still looms large.
A 13-member HRF team visited the villages of Kappatrala, Nellibanda, and P Kotakonda in De-vanakonda mandal on Wednesday, and interacted with local residents. The team also visited the hilltop Kowlutla Chennakeshava Swamy temple within the reserve forest. Locals strongly believe that uranium mining will harm their health, agriculture, and livelihoods.
The team members speaking on the occasion said, back in 2017, the Atomic Minerals Direc-torate for Exploration and Research (AMD) secretly conducted exploratory drilling of 20 bore-holes in the reserve forest without informing the local population. Now, AMD has proposed an additional 68 boreholes in the Adoni forest range, specifically within the Pottikonda section of Kappatrala reserve forest, to estimate uranium reserves.
HRF asserted that uranium mining is highly dangerous for humanity and the environment. It is socially harmful, unethical, and leads to severe environmental damage.
The process renders land toxic, depletes and contaminates groundwater, and poses long-term risks to future gen-erations. The radioactive waste generated from uranium mining remains hazardous for thou-sands of years.
The health consequences are severe: people in uranium mining regions suffer from congenital disabilities, infertility, blood disorders, and skeletal issues.
The tragic case of Jaduguda in Jharkhand, where uranium mining has led to widespread health problems, serves as a stark reminder of these dangers. Even decades after mining operations cease, radioactive contam-ination persists in the environment.
Any mining activity in the Kappatrala region will have severe consequences for local water re-sources. The 1,157-acre Kappatrala reserve forest is situated in the catchment area of the Gajuladinne project (Sanjeevayya Sagar), which supplies drinking and irrigation water to vil-lages in Gonegandla, Pottikonda, Devanakonda, and Kodumur mandals.
Water from Kappatrala Reserve Forest flows into local water bodies like Jilledubudakala, Kari-vemula, Ellibanda, and Erratanda ponds before reaching the Gajuladinne Project.
Rainwater from the reserve forest also feeds the Kotakonda tank and Machavaram Tank via the Nagam-ma Vanka stream. If uranium mining contaminates these water sources, the lives of 25 villag-es will be devastated. The interconnected nature of groundwater systems means that radioac-tive elements can rapidly spread through underground aquifers, creating long-term pollution risks.
The Kappatrala reserve forest is home to wildlife such as wolves, jackals, deer, wild boars, porcupines, star tortoises, and peacocks.
Local residents warn that uranium mining will destroy their habitats and push these species toward extinction. Additionally, herders from Karnataka and other distant regions bring their cattle to graze in the reserve forest, and mining activities would disrupt their traditional practices.
Residents of Kappatrala are well aware of the negative consequences of uranium mining in Tummalapalle, Vemula mandal, YSR district.
The operations by Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) there have caused immense damage to local communities, leading to loss of livelihood, poor health, and water scarcity.
HRF criticised the government’s preference for nuclear energy, highlighting that it is highly dangerous and expensive compared to renewable sources like wind and solar power.
The or-ganisation argues that instead of promoting nuclear energy, the government should invest in renewable energy technologies, which are safer and more sustainable.
HRF demanded that all uranium exploration efforts in the Kappatrala region be immediately halted.