No nod to uranium mining in Amrabad Tiger Reserve: Telangana CM

HYDERABAD: Stressing that Telangana government was against uranium mining in Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR), chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said a resolution would be passed in the assembly and council expressing the opinions of both houses.
He said the proposed exploration may contaminate Krishna river on which Hyderabad depends for drinking water. He added the state government had never given permission for uranium mining post-June 2014 (four months after the new state came into being).“We have no intention of allowing uranium mining... We will not allow Nallamala forest (where the tiger reserve is) to be destroyed. It will contaminate Krishna River from which we get drinking water. It will impact Hyderabad... This is our firm decision. I request people of the state not to worry.”

Rao said even if the Centre insisted on going ahead with exploration, the state will fight it unitedly.
He said the government was in sync with the proposal of Congress member Bhatti Vikramarka to introduce a resolution, get it passed unanimously and send it to the Union government.
Echoing similar views, minister for IT and industries KT Rama Rao said the government would not grant permission for uranium mining in forest areas, even if exploration being carried out by Atomic Minerals Directorate in ATR yielded positive results. “The (state) government has taken a clear stand that no mining will be allowed at any cost in forest areas even if uranium deposits are found during exploration,” Rama Rao said. He added that AMD does not require permission for survey and investigation for uranium exploration in revenue lands. However, it needs forest department clearance for forest lands for exploration.
He said that the state government did not give permission for exploration or mining at Nallamala forest.
Replying on behalf of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in the Legislative Council here on Sunday, the minister informed that it was Congress government, which had given the permission in 2009 through GO 127. “However, I do not wish to politicise the issue," he said