a paradise lost- the impacts of new uranium mines in jharkhand
DESCRIPTION
In the remote corner of the eastern part of the country, the hill state of Jharkhand, the adivasis are holding out against the might of the Indian Government. The innocent adivasis are scrambling all their might to retain the last vestiges of their identity and cultural practices. Adivasis living in the the villages of East Singhbhum District now, he feels that their future is very bleak. The Uranium mine and the Mill are very close to their villages and the mining and dumping has reached the edge of his hamlet. The sound of blasting echoes in the mountains and disturbs the serenity and peace that he had experienced all his life. The Uranium mine waste rocks are carelessly being dumped on their paddy fields and grazing grounds, a few meters away from their home They are frail and sick. Doctors say that they suffer from T.B and has been giving them medicines for that. Most of the villagers say that the medicines have not helped them cure his illness. The doctors don’t show them the medical reports and sent away on one pretext or the other. Unable to do any work, villagers quietly sits on the verandah of their hut and stare blankly.TRANSCRIPT
A Paradise LostTribes of Jharkhand fight against Uranium Mining
A Report on
The Impacts of New Uranium Mines in Jharkhand
Tarun Kanti Bose
PT George
This study was supported by Global Green Grants Fund
&
Popular Education and Action Centre (PEACE)
PT GeorgeCurrently, George is the Director of Intercultural Resources, a centre for research, documentation and intervention which is based in Delhi. He is also the governing board member of Human Resources Development Foundation. He has been writing on social issues for the print media as well as for online publications. He is associated with several social movements in India and documents issues of peoples struggles combating the mainstream development. He is also keenly interested in photography. Tarun Kanti BoseTarun Kanti Bose is an avid writer and a professional editor, whose ear is on the ground. He has been writing on a vast range of issues of critical importance, be it social, economic, environmental, indigenous or nuclear. For the last three decades he has been painstakingly doing field work in the Adivasi areas, writing on their issues and trying to empower them, to regain their indigenous rights. He has been part of many social and political struggles. He also conducts media workshops to empower young writers especially the youth from marginalised communities.
Authors Profile
A Paradise LostTribes of Jharkhand fight against Uranium Mining
A Report on
The Impacts of New Uranium Mines in Jharkhand
Tarun Kanti Bose
PT George
PT GeorgeCurrently, George is the Director of Intercultural Resources, a centre for research, documentation and intervention which is based in Delhi. He is also the governing board member of Human Resources Development Foundation, He has been writing on social issues for the print media as well as for online publications. He is associated with several social movements in India and documents issues of peoples struggles combating the mainstream development. He is also keenly interested in photography. Tarun Kanti BoseTarun Kanti Bose is an avid writer and a professional editor, whose ear is on the ground. He has been writing on a vast range of issues of critical importance, be it social, economic, environmental, indigenous or nuclear. For the last three decades he has been painstakingly doing field work in the Adivasi areas, writing on their issues and trying to empower them, to regain their indigenous rights. He has been part of many social and political struggles. He also conducts media workshops to empower young writers especially the youth from marginalised communities.
Authors Profile
A Paradise LostTribes of Jharkhand fight against Uranium Mining
A Report onThe Impacts of New Uranium Mines in Jharkhand
Authored by:
Tarun Kanti BosePT George
2013
Contents
Acknowledgements 03
Introduction 04
Jharkhand: The Adivasi struggle to survive 05
Historic struggle of the Adivasis in Jharkhand 06
Nuclear Power 09
Uranium Mining and Milling in Jharkhand 12
Radiation Wreaking Havoc 15
Displacement and Rehabilitation 21
Protest Continues.... 28
Conclusion 29
Besides our efforts, the success of this study was largely dependent on the encouragement and guidance of
many experts, friends and well-wishers. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all those who
have been instrumental in the successful completion of this study. We would like to show our greatest
appreciation to Popular Education & Action Centre (PEACE), for their support and guidance. We would like to thank Benny Kuruvilla, Anil Chaudhary and Wilfred D'Souza for their continuous support and supervision during this study.
Several people have been instrumental in the completion of this study. We would like to express our
gratitude to, Kumarchand Mardi, Joe Athialy, Afsar Jafri, Dr. Surendra Gadekar, Dr. Sangamitra Gadekar,
Radhey Shyam Bisht, Dr. Abhijit Das, Xavier Dias, Sunil Minz, Philip Kujur, Sunder Murmu, Kavita
Murmu, Thomas Sundi, Arjun Samad, Bir Singh Sinku, Ramesh Jerai, Balram, Arvind Anjum, Fr. Halan
Bodra, Sr. Thomasina, John Bara, Rema N. and several others for their kind co-operation and
encouragement.
Acknowledgements
3
In an era of devastating impacts of climate change in countries across the world, India struggles to reduce its 1
carbon emission and produce cheap energy to sustain its GDP . Currently, India places extraordinary
emphasis on nuclear energy in order to meet its scaling energy demands. The recent mushrooming of nuclear
power plants across the country has raised many questions regarding the huge costs, the safety aspects and
the ever-increasing fears about nuclear proliferation and nuclear threat, not only to the people of India but
the entire South Asia. Large scale protests have erupted at almost all the nuclear sites questioning the land
acquisitions, loss of livelihood and the safety aspects of the nuclear power plants.
Uranium exploration, mining, milling and processing are the "front end" of the nuclear chain - usually
invisible to the public - without which neither nuclear power nor nuclear weapons could exist. The atrocities
involved in uranium mining and milling are virtually unknown to the general public outside the mining
areas. In most countries, uranium mining and nuclear energy are government controlled affairs, thus
shrouded in mystery.
India's nuclear expansion plan has resulted in the massive search for uranium (the basic raw material for
nuclear power plants) throughout the country. Uranium mines are being opened up everywhere.
Coincidently, most of the uranium mining sites in India are also homes to indigenous tribes who are unjustly 2
being displaced in the name of development. The Adivasis in Jharkhand too are being thrown out from their
ancestral lands, stripped off their identity, collective community rights and livelihood, all for the sake of
uranium mining. Several parts of Jharkhand have now been transformed into virtual battle grounds where
the Adivasis are struggling for the last vestiges of their life and identity. Excessive mining has resulted in the
depletion of natural resources, destruction of habitats, pristine forests, bio-diversity hotspots and river
systems, gradually transforming the entire landscape into a devastated wasteland.
Our quest to understand the crucial issues plaguing the indigenous communities due to development
projects, led us to the new uranium mines in the heartland of the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Here,
thousands of people have become the unfortunate
victims of mining and radiation related diseases.
This humble study is the result of six months of
fieldwork that involved intense data collection
and interaction with the affected communities.
During the fieldwork, we also had the
opportunity to interact and interview several
leaders, intellectuals and activists who are at the
forefront of Adivasi struggles, fighting for
various rights. Several UCIL (Uranium 3Corporation of India Limited) employees
belonging to different trade unions also shared
their struggles.
Introduction
4
JHARKHAND: THE ADIVASIS STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
harkhand is the 28th state of the Indian Union, which was sliced out of Bihar on 15 November 2000 to
coincide with the birth anniversary of the legendary Adivasi leader Birsa Munda or Bhagwan Birsa JMunda. The state has a total area of 79714 sq. km and shares borders with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. Jharkhand is blessed with abundant forests (with almost 29 percent forest
cover), rivers and rich mineral resources. The mineral resources in the state include huge reserves of coal,
iron, copper, mica, granite as well as good reserves of graphite, manganese, uranium and so on. About 32
percent of India's coal is sourced from Jharkhand and about 25 percent of copper is also mined here.
As per the 2011 census, the state has a population of 32,966,238, out of which 26.50 percent are Adivasis
belonging to the Munda, Oraon, Santhal, Ho, Bhumij, Kharia, Karmali, Gond, Chick Baraik, Kisan, Sauria,
Paharia, Korwa, Kora, Paharia, Binjhia, Asur and Birhor tribes.
East Singhbhum – The contested site
The location of this study is the East Singhbhum (Land
of Lions) district, situated at the southeast corner of
Jharkhand. It is said that in the past this region used to be
the habitat of large number of lions. East Singhbhum
district has thick forest cover with almost 33 percent of
its total area covered under forest. Being part of the
Chotanagpur plateau, this region is also a reservoir of
minerals. The rampant industrialisation in the district
has resulted in large scale mining, quarrying and the
consequential deforestation, have all affected the people and the environment in a big way. Adivasis in this
region practice subsistence farming. Due to fragmentation, 83 percent of the land holdings belong to small
and marginal farmers and only a few land holdings are above 10 hectares. Soil toxicity has increased over
the years and agricultural productivity is on a decline. Farming primarily depends on good monsoon rains.
More than 44% of the population in this area lives in rural areas and practice agriculture.
In such a scenario, opening of hundreds of mines, uncontrolled quarrying of construction materials such as
granite, sandstone, limestone, gravel, and even sand, have created vast stretches of inundated terrains in the
whole district. Wastewater from the mines and quarries, suspended solids and even radioactive uranium
waste contaminate the environment and find their way into water bodies and later into river systems;
polluting and irreparably damaging the living beings and the environment.
The Adivasi communities in Jharkhand have become the victims of the developmental agenda of the state,
especially due to heavy industrialisation, extraction of minerals, forest and water resources. The struggles of 4the Adivasi communities to retain their natural resources Jal, Jungle, Zameen (Water, Forest and Land) are
nothing new and date back to several hundred years. The intensity of their struggles has catapulted to great
heights in the contemporary period, especially after the formation of the state of Jharkhand. The political
elite of the newly formed state has only corroborated the 'National Vision' and shook hands with the global
players by signing hundreds MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding ) that paved the way for new mining
leases, installation of factories and power plants all in turn have destroyed the environment and displaced the
Adivasi communities in a major way.
5
HISTORIC STRUGGLE OF THE ADIVASIS IN JHARKHAND
harkhand was once was a thick forested area in the Chotanagpur plateau, blessed with large number of
rivers, waterfalls and a reservoir of mineral wealth like bauxite, iron, gold, coal and uranium and so on. JFor centuries, the tribes in this region lived in peace and harmony and were very closely linked with
nature. There was a symbiotic relationship with forest and other living beings – including the spirit of the
ancestors. There was no private ownership of land. Natural resources were always considered as gifts of
nature, while human beings are only supposed to be their caretakers. Everything was collectively owned and
shared by the community, while disputes and conflicts were amicably settled through collective discussions.
But, during the last few hundred years, all these practices have taken a different turn due to several conflicts.
Most of the traditional norms and practices have been shattered and all the notions of collective identity and
ownership have been destroyed. The genesis of all their troubles could be pointed to the intrusion of outside
forces into the Adivasi region.
5With the arrival of the British , the Adivasi habitats that were once the abodes of peaceful and harmonious
existence now became contested locations where their collective ownership norms have been challenged.
This in turn, created confusion and conflicts in the traditional Adivasi identity. The British introduced their
own sense of private ownership and individual property rights in Adivasi areas. Together with this, the 6intrusion of money lenders and Zamindars , began the saga of exploitation that would continue for a long
time. Gradually, the Adivasis were pushed to slavery and servitude. The people who were once the guardians
and protectors of their forests and natural resources gradually became landless poor and destitute, slavering 7
either for the Zamindars or for the British. Resentments against the British and the Jagirdars also grew
simultaneously. The sense of pride and the need to regain the lost identity became strong among Adivasi
groups. Voices of dissent grew louder and the storm of revolution blew all over and ultimately, they decided
to fight back and regain the lost ground.
The first well-known struggle was waged by Baba Tilka Majhi during the period 1780-85. He led an Adivasi
revolt against the British and managed to injure a British army chief. The Adivasis fought ferociously using
traditional weapons - bows and arrows. But the British brought in more forces and ammunitions and quelled
the revolt with gun power. In 1785, Tilka Majhi was hanged to death in Bhagalpur. Although the Adivasis
fought vigorously with guerrilla tactics, they could not however, match the gun power of the mighty British
Empire. The movement suffered heavy loss and much causality. Several of the Adivasis laid down their
lives, but the survivors didn't lose courage and the will was to regain their identity. Baba Tilka Majhi was the
first Santhal Adivasi leader, to insist that the natural wealth and other resources of the Adivasi areas
belonged to the Adivasi people and the outsiders cannot control them.
It didn't take much long for the Adivasis to arm themselves for the next round of insurrection. Soon, another
rebellious storm broke out against the British colonial authority and the corrupt upper caste Zamindari
system. The Santhal Hul (Santhal Revolt), was the biggest mobilisation of the Santhals against outside
forces to end the slavery of the Adivasis. This revolt began in 1855, and was led by the four Murmu Brothers
- Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav and ended in January 1856. This movement also reiterated the same
demand that the Adivasi land and resources belonged to the Adivasi people. The Hul revolution united
thousands of Adivasis to win back their lost identity and collective land rights. This time too, the British
deployed heavy forces to suppress the movement, but soon realized that the Adivasis are a force to reckon
with and in order to continue to conduct business in the region, a cordial relationship with the Adivasis need
6
to be reached at. Effectively, as a kind of appeasement to the Adivasis, the British created a separate district 8
called Santhal Pargana, by the Act XXXVII of 1855 . Even though, several provisions were put in place to
protect the Adivasi resources, the plunder and loot continued unabatedly, so was rise of Adivasi resentment
against outside forces.
The next important phase of Adivasi struggle was the 'Ulgulan Movement', waged by the legendary Adivasi
leader Birsa Munda or Bhagwan Birsa Munda, during the period of 1895-1900. The Ulgulan movement
meaning 'Great Tumult' sought to liberate the Adivasis from the slavery and servitude and re-establish the
Adivasi governance. The Ulgulan movement was a continuum of the earlier movements for liberation of the
Adivasis and their resources from the Zamindars and the British operatives. According to Kumarchand
Mardi – an Adivasi leader and activist working among the displaced in Jaduguda and Turamdih – the
Ulgulan movement was one of the biggest Adivasi uprising against the British Empire. Kumarchand further
pointed out that during this movement, the combination of the terms 'Hul' and 'Ulgulan' were
interchangeably used to stress on the urgent need to liberate the Adivasis from slavery as well as regain their
identity and resources. During this movement, the whole atmosphere was filled with the great revolutionary
spirit. Under the leadership of Birsa Munda, the movement was able to garner the support of thousands of
Adivasis not only belonging to the Munda tribe but several others in the region. The movement created panic
among moneylenders, landlords, dacoits, contractors, missionaries and the British imperialists.
Samay Soren, a Adivasi activist, who works on health issues, living in Jamshedpur felt that, before the
British came to India, the forest was like 'Mother Earth' (Dharti Ma) to the Adivasis. All natural resources 9
were created by Singbonga the God. Once the British arrived in Chotanagpur region, 'Western' notions of
private property, forest laws and several other rules & regulations were introduced. These new laws and
regulations stripped the Adivasis of their natural rights and the onslaught on their culture and resources
became all the more vigorous with the penetration of private money lenders into Adivasi areas. The British,
diabolically encouraged the outsiders, especially the Zamindars and money lenders in the Adivasi belt to
extract revenue and resources. Introduction of foreign liquor in the Adivasi region gradually converted
many innocent Adivasis into alcohol addicts and destroyed the peace and harmony of the already pauperised
Adivasi families.
10The Arrival of TATA (Total Appropriation of Tribal Assets)
The struggles of the Adivasis continued for a long time. The indigenous communities in the Chotanagpur
region, who were earlier the protectors of Jal, Jungle, Zameen now became displaced victims, landless and
poor. When Industrialisation and the development of railways were in full swing, the demand for natural
resources and forest produces became stronger. The Tata, a major private player in the field of
Industrialisation process in India, began establishing its enterprises in the Chotanagpur region. Easy
availability of cheap raw materials for their upcoming steel plant was their main aim in entering this region.
The Tata found that the geographical belt of Chotanagpur region had abundant forests, plenty of mineral
wealth and sufficient water resources, enough to sustain them for several hundred years to come. But there
were legal hurdles that stood on the way from directly occupying the Adivasi land. During this time, the
Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act was also being formulated by the British, to control the Adivasi resources
being exploited by the outsiders and give more autonomy to local governance.
Faisal Anurag, a senior Journalist and Columnist, who is actively involved in indigenous Adivasi struggles 11emphasised that, The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) was already geared up for implementation in the
7
year 1905. But in the Chotanagpur region, the Tata wanted land for mining iron ore and found that the Act, if
implemented early, would hamper the land acquisition, mining and the installation of the Tata Steel Plant. So
Jamshedji Tata influenced the British and ensured that the CNT Act was not implemented until Tata
completed the land acquisition for the Tata Steel Plant. The Tata got the land they wanted and the Act was
implemented in 1908. The Adivasis of the region were completely betrayed by this intervention. It took
some time for the innocent and simple Adivasis to realise that the British were hand in glove with Tata to
exploit and plunder the natural resources in the Adivasi region.
The present Tatanagar used to be a cluster of 18 notified revenue villages in the Singhbhum region and used
to be called Kalimati, where the Adivasis lived in peace and harmony for hundreds of years. Today, there are
no revenue villages in Tatanagar and there are no signs of any of the old villages or their inhabitants. What
happened to the Adivasis who lived there earlier? The original inhabitants of the 18 villages have been
dispossessed by the Tata Steel plant. Now, they live on the periphery of the city, impoverished and displaced,
eking out a miserable existence. Many of them have migrated to other areas in search of livelihood. The
deplorable and lamenting stories of Adivasi displacement in Tatanagar could be found replicated all over
Jharkhand.
The Adivasis continued to battle for their rights, even after the formation of the state of Jharkhand. The new
political leadership has now joined hands with big corporations and the industrial mafia to exploit the
remaining resources in the state. After the formation of the state, several hundred MoUs have been signed by
various governments that came to power. Hundreds of factories, thermal power plants, and other industrial
units are being established across the state. In almost all of these, the outsiders get best jobs and positions,
whereas the Adivasis continue to do manual labour, while their land and resources are mercilessly being
looted away.
8
NUCLEAR POWER
he technology to produce nuclear energy by splitting certain elements in the atoms was first
developed in the 1940s, primarily used for manufacturing bombs. A decade later, the attention was Tdiverted to more 'peaceful' use of nuclear energy, especially for the production of electricity. The
first commercial nuclear power stations also began operation during this period. Today, the nuclear fission
technology has undergone enormous development and there are more than 430 nuclear power reactors
operating in 31 countries, roughly producing around 13.5 percent of the global energy requirements albeit
with hundreds of cases of radiation leaks, major accidents, explosions, radiation related diseases and heavy
environmental pollution.
India's Nuclear Ambitions
Recently, India has revived its nuclear energy programme to meet its ever-rising energy demands. On the
one hand, energy consumption in India has almost tripled during the period of 1990 to 2009. On the other,
studies have shown that more than 300 million people in India have no access to electricity and more than 6
percent of the urban population is also not connected by power. At present, thermal power chiefly using coal
provides about 68 percent of the electricity, while natural gas and hydropower provides 12 percent each and
nuclear energy was a meagre 2.3 percent.
12In spite of such meagre contribution by nuclear power, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), which is
directly under the control of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has been making high predictions and
setting big targets for nuclear achievements. The first such prediction was made in the late 50s, that by the
year 1980, India would have a capacity of 8000 MW of power produced by nuclear power plants. In 1962,
there was another prediction that nuclear energy would generate 20–25,000 MW by 1987. In 1969 the 13
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) predicted that by the year 2000, India would have a capacity to
produce 43,500 MW of nuclear generating capacity. All the while, the reality was quite different. In 1979,
India could only produce a meagre 600 MW of electricity from nuclear power and by the year 1987, there
was a marginal increase in this to 950 MW. By the year 2007, in spite of all tall claims and mammoth
predictions, the nuclear power's capacity was just 3,310 MW which was less than 3 percent of total power
generated in this country. The story of high ambitions, huge predictions, abundant funding and the
benevolence of being directly under the control of the PMO continues even now.
Nuclear is not merely Energy
Focusing only on the question of energy actually dilutes the entire debate on nuclear issue. Simply, it is only
one aspect of the whole gamut of the nuclear science, as pointed out by Xavier Dias, a senior anti-nuclear and
human rights activist. Further he added that the whole debate about the nuclear science and the nuclear
industry should be taken beyond issues of energy, because there is hardly any discussion in the public
domain on larger issues related to nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations. It is
now a well established fact - which nucleocrats won't agree - that the future major destruction to humankind,
is going to be from radiation at different levels in the lives of people. Radiation could happen not only from
nuclear reactor or from uranium mine, but from a variety of other sources. In India, since there are no norms
for minimum safety standards, the radiation in small doses happens not only in the uranium mining areas but
has also reached in the urban areas and into our homes. Today, it is a well known fact that granite stone
9
releases Radon, a radioactive gas. In the United States, it has proved that Radon gas is found in homes all
over the country. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air
you breathe. In fact, many of the churches and old institutions in Europe are closing down because of high
Radon content. In India, the granite stones are abundantly used for constructions. Do people know where
these granite stones come from? For example, in the construction industry in and around Jamshedpur, these
stones could be procured from the uranium mine waste. Thus, the granite stones enter our homes through
flooring, reinforced concretes (what is commonly called as RCC) which continuously emit low doses of
Radon.
As modern construction is done in such a way that there is no outlet for Radon, because when the door is
closed the Radon is trapped inside and circulates in the room. Since Radon is heavier than air, it can't go out.
Children crawl on the floor; people walk barefoot in their homes, gradually welcoming low doses of Radon
radiation into their lives, without their knowledge.
Another case in point is the use of fly ash for manufacturing bricks. There is no regulation about it. Thermal
power plants want to get rid of it and allow whoever wants to take it away for whatever reason. It is a well-
known fact that that fly ash has very high concentration of radioactive particles. Without being aware of this,
brick manufacturing companies now abundantly use fly ash for manufacturing bricks. Thus, we welcome
radiation emitting particles directly into our bedrooms and living rooms.
In India, there is an institution called Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). But has anyone ever heard
of this institution doing a study on Radon? Whereas, it is mandatory in the USA to periodically check the
Radon emission in homes and institutions. In the West, when one buys a house, first thing he/she does is to
get the Radon radiation checked. Similarly, in the production of steel which is abundantly used in
constructions in India, the radioactive particles also get in during the smelting process.
Consequently, the amount of radiation from a wide variety of sources that people are subjected to, make
them susceptible to several diseases. Ultimately, the future generation is going to be weaker than the present
one and more susceptible to cancer and other diseases due to radiation. Together with this, the industrial
farm products which use heavy doses of pesticides and chemicals enter into our food chain without our
knowledge. When all these things are added up, they create a big threat to humanity.
It should now formally be accepted that it is not only the Adivasis who are in danger, but humanity as a
whole. The death certificates of the Adivasis are already signed, along with the rest of the people of this
country. Our preoccupations in this country are on issues of hunger, poverty, unemployment, gender, caste
etc., whereas, the issues of radiation are not that important in our lives and have not been discussed in the
public domain, because we are ignorant about them. As far as our awareness about radiation is concerned,
we are at the same stage when the people of Jaduguda were, in the late 1980s. When several Adivasi children
died in Jadugoda during the 80s, the innocent Adivasis there complained that their babies were eaten away
by evil spirits. They also believed that because of the influence of the evil spirit, they were afflicted by all
kinds of diseases. At that time, the people in Jaduguda had no idea of radiation or uranium. So they believed
in the evil spirit story.
Deceitful Nuclear Industry
When one looks at the character of the present day global economy and how it has been shaped up, one finds
that the character of the nuclear industry is one of the most deceitful in the world. The nuclear industry has its
10
own scientists to back up the deceits. Historically, Japan has been one country that maintained some moral
consciousness as a nation. Unfortunately, in the recent Fukushima incident now you may hear that, the
Fukushima Daiichi Company had asked the workers to lie regarding the radiation readings. The company
ordered the workers to cover the radiation counter meter with lead sheets so that, the meter does not show
high readings, because lead sheets do not allow the radiation to pass through. So, this is a clear example that
even in a country like Japan which has high moral standards, you have an industry that is engaged not only in
deceits but purposely engaging in criminal acts. If this is happening in Japan, what can one expect from
India's nuclear industry?
Why is the nuclear industry so deceitful? Why this industry is engaged in criminal act of concealment of
information that is scientific? If one industry comes transparent, it blows the cover of the secrecy of the
nuclear science. As such, there is nothing safe in uranium mining, in transporting the ore, in processing it,
getting it converted into fissile materials that could be readily used either for the power plant or for the
production of nuclear weapons.
11
URANIUM MINING AND MILLING IN JHARKHAND
n the last several decades, there has been a boom in uranium exploration, new mining projects as well as
expansion of the existing ones. The arguments often given for the new uranium mines are that there is an Iurgent need to augment the increasing demand for nuclear fuel for the several new power plants that are
coming up. Another argument is that, nuclear power will be the saviour of India's energy crisis and that it is a
"clean" alternative to fossil fuels in an era of climate change.
The four most promising uranium mining in India are situated in Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh. With a modest uranium resources, India's reasonably assured capacity is about 54,000 tons
and 23,500 tons as estimated additional resources in situ. Mining and processing of uranium is carried out by
the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL), a subsidiary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
Presently, it operates several underground and open cast mines. This study covers three new uranium mining
sites in Jharkhand.
Turamdih Uranium Mine and Mill
The Turamdih Uranium mine is located just 5 kilometres away from Tata Nagar railway station. The mine
was commissioned in 2003. The Turamdih Uranium Mill started its operation in 2007 processing about 3000
tonnes of uranium ore per day. It processes the ore extracted from the Turamdih and Mohuldih mines.
Several villages around the Turamdih mine and the mill are displaced and are on the verge of collapse due to
the impacts of mining, waste dumping, radiation and several other issues.
Banduhurang Uranium Mine
Banduhurang Mine was commissioned in 2007. This mine is the first opencast uranium mine in India and
situated very close to Turamdih Mine and Mill. This mine uses excavators and dumpers for extracting the
uranium ore. The villages surrounding the mine are severely affected by the routine blasting, noise and dust
pollution, uranium waste dumping in to the farms and fields. Untreated waste water from the mine is let into
the river and water bodies, affecting crops. The movement of the villagers have severely been restricted
since the opening of the mine. Farming has become almost impossible in the vicinity of the mine and grazing
cattle has almost been abandoned.
Mohuldih Uranium Mine
Mohuldih Uranium Mine is located bit away from the Turamdih mine. It is situated in Gamharia block in the
district of Seraikella-Kharsawan. This mine was commissioned in 2012. The uranium ore extracted from
this underground mine is transported to Turamdih mill about 7 kilometres away, for further processing.
UCIL boats of using latest technologies and machineries in this mine to extract uranium. This mine too has
displaced several farmers, but relatively few when compared to Banduhurang and Turamdih mines.
The Uranium mining by UCIL and its parental organisation the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has
launched a two-pronged attack on the people:
First of all, the company has expropriated the livelihood of the people without considering any alternative
for the Adivasis who are primarily dependant on agriculture;
12
Secondly, uranium mines cause radiation and it impacts human beings, animals, plants and the environment
and;
Thirdly, there is an alarming rate of human right violations on the people who are affected by mining,
especially the Adivasis and members of the civil society groups that protest any such violations.
In areas like Jaitapur, Kudankulam where the nuclear power plants are coming up, the DAE is taking land
away from the people. Here it is a question of land grabbing and at the same time committing human rights
violations over organisations resisting such take-over. Another important issue is the construction of large
projects dealing with massive possibilities of radiation, dangerous to humanity and ecology.
Land Acquisition for Uranium Mines
While interacting with several village leaders and displaced victims, it unravelled the fact that for the three
above mentioned uranium mines the UCIL has acquired land through the State government, at several
places in the East Singhbhum district. Villagers from Banduhurang informed us that, altogether 120 acres of
prime land have been taken away for the Banduhurang Mine. About 45 acres of agricultural land has been
acquired from Purihasa village. A very high land acquisition has been from Kerwadungri which has good
agricultural land. Almost 200 acres of prime agricultural land has been acquired by UCIL in Kerwadungri.
About 46 acres of land has been acquired from Turamdih village. Talsa villages (both Bada Talsa and Chota
Talsa are two villages that lie closest to the tailing pond. The villagers here parted with almost 400 acres of
land both for the mine and the tailing pond which included good grazing land, forest land and a vast stretch of
agricultural land. Other land acquisition in the area has been 219 acres from Nandup village. In Mohuldih
village, Thakur Soren, a farmer informed that 22 acres of agricultural land has been taken away by UCIL for
the mine. A good stretch of prime forest land also has been acquired for mining.
During our interaction with the members of the Turamdih Vistapit Samiti, it was revealed that around 1050
families in Nandup village under the Byanbill Panchayat are displaced by uranium mining. When the
uranium mining project was approved and the land acquisition began, there was no discussion with the local
Gram Panchayat (local self-governing institution at village level) on this issue. The state government and
the UCIL together, forcibly took away the land. The villagers have been forcibly removed from their land.
The company gave some compensation to few people amounting to Rs. 50,000 or 60000 per acre which is
far too low at the market rate. A lot of people are yet to receive any compensation. Due to some family
disputes several people were removed from the list of the displaced and could not claim any compensation,
but their land has already been acquired for mining. As far as employment for the displaced is concerned, the
UCIL employed some Adivasis to do manual work. Several Adivasis also work under various contractors.
The UCIL has a hospital in the Turamdih mine complex where their officers and other workers employed by
UCIL get regular medical check up and full treatment. But the health records are kept with the company.
Other displaced family members who do not work for the company, do not avail any health facilities from
the UCIL.
While interacting with the displaced from the Nandup village, it was revealed that nobody has been
rehabilitated so far; even those who were displaced during the land acquisition in 1984-85 are still to be
rehabilitated. Those who have been totally displaced from their land, have now set up some shelter near the
railway lines and are struggling for livelihood. A lot of displaced people, due to sheer frustration and lack of
employment opportunities have turned to brewing local alcohol, selling datun (neem stick used as
13
toothbrush) or doing odd jobs to meet their daily needs. The situation is very grave for the displaced and the
landless. There is a very high rate of unemployment, poverty, hunger and malnutrition among them.
The villagers in Nandup further recalled that before the uranium mining started in the region, each
household in the village used to keep 20 to 30 cows and goats. Whereas after the coming of the mines, one
can hardly keep one or two cows in a family, because there is no grazing land available now. Before the land
used to be community owned and there were specific areas dedicated for grazing. Now those community
lands have been taken away for the mines, stripping the Adivasis of their collective rights.
Identity crisis among the displaced Adivasis is a major issue which they confront in their day-today life. One
of the displaced Adivasis, now working in the UCIL as a miner, pointed out that earlier their identity used to
be based on their indigenous rights as Adivasis belonging to the land they lived. The situation has drastically
changed now. Since the Adivasis have lost their land and resources, now their identity is based on the
education and the certificate issued from the school. This is a major paradigm shift in terms of the norms for
the recognition of the indigenous identity of the Adivasis in Jharkhand is concerned.
14
RADIATION WREAKING HAVOC
ue to uranium mining, not only those working in the mines are adversely affected, but even the health
of their family members, the villagers and even those who are living in the UCIL colony. So there is an Durgent need for a scientific investigation into the impacts of radiation even in the new mining areas.
In the initial days, when uranium mining began in Jaduguda recalls Balram, the Jharkhand State Advisor to
Commissioner of Supreme Court on Right to Food, the people working in the mines as well as those living near
the mines started suffering from various ailments. When they went to the local hospitals, they were diagnosed
with common ailments and given medicines and sent off. There was neither proper investigation on these new
ailments nor given appropriate treatments. Later on, when a team drawn
from people's organisations, social action groups, Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs) and scientific community began to associate with
the uranium mining and radiation related issues. Due to their collective
efforts, two things emerged. First, the need to establish that the new
ailments were due to radiation; second, to establish that the uranium
mining area is a high radiation zone and the radiation levels needs to be
measured. When we see similar things happening to people living near
the new uranium mines, it naturally re-establishes the fact a similar study
needs to be conducted to understand the implications of new uranium
mines not only on the people working in the mines, but also the villagers who live nearby.
During our interactions with activists, villagers and experts it was made amply clear that the miners working
in UCIL's Turamdih mines and mills, Banduhurang open cast mines and Mohuldih underground mines are at
great risk, because of their continuous exposure to high concentrations of a radioactive gas called Radon-
222. According to Xavier Dias, a senior functionary of Bindrai Institute of Research Study & Action 15(BIRSA) Mines Monitoring Centre , Radon-222 is a decay product of uranium and a highly carcinogenic
alpha emitter. When inhaled it gets deposited in the air passage of lungs, irradiate cells and later become
malignant. Uranium miners are also exposed to Radium-226, another lethal uranium daughter, which is an
alpha and gamma emitter with a half life of 1,600 years. Radium-226 is an integral component of uranium
dust. If this dust is inhaled, Radium is absorbed into the body and gets deposited in the bones which in turn
cause estrogenic sarcoma, a highly malignant bone cancer, and leukaemia, because white blood cells are
manufactured in the bone marrow. Uranium daughters present in the ore emit gamma radiation too, which
emanates from the surface of the uranium mine. So, miners are constantly exposed to whole-body radiation
(like X-rays), which irradiates their bodies and even damage their reproductive organs. As a result, uranium
miners suffer from a very high incidence of cancer and other lethal diseases. Many Adivasis working in the
UCIL mines of Jaduguda, Bhatin, and Narwapahar — though it is kept as a secret — have died die to lung
cancer. What happened to those workers in the older mines would also happen to miners working in the new
mines of Banduhurang, Turamdih and Mohuldih. A deadly fate is eagerly waiting for them.
Waste Rock
The waste produced during mining is called waste rock or mine tailings, which is several times larger than
the amount of ore mined. During the fieldwork it was found that huge heaps of mine tailings have been
abandoned in Dhodanga, Kerwadungri and other villages adjacent to Banduhurang open cast mine. The
mine waste is also carelessly dumped in the paddy fields fully exposed to the air and the rain. This waste rock
also contains uranium ore and other decay products - which is too low for processing in the mill. These
15
Uranium sludge dumped near roadside
wastes also emit dangerous levels of radiation. As long as the uranium deposit was beneath the earth
undisturbed, the radiation was trapped underground. Once the ore is mined out, the waste rock piles pose
hazards to villagers and the environment: Radon gas escape into the air; ore dust gets blown by the wind; and
uranium and its decay products seep into surface water bodies and groundwater. Being radioactive and
toxic, they contaminate the environment.
Tale of a Tailing Pond
The uranium tailing pond in Talsa village is very close to Bada Talsa village where hundreds of Adivasis live. The construction of the pond began in 2005 and was completed in 2010. The nuclear waste slurry from the Turamdih Uranium Mill is dumped into this tailing pond. There are no proper barricades on all sides of the pond. Sahebram Murmu who lives on the edge of the tailing pond is of the opinion that since only one side of the tailing pond is fenced off and all the other sides are kept open it creates lots of problems for the villagers. Wild animals often get trapped in the poisonous sludge and die immediately. Often, the villagers' cattle also stray into the pond, get trapped in the poisonous sludge and die. The villagers and the experts pointed out that the Talsa Uranium Tailing pond is not constructed as per the international standards. The incidences of leakage and bund burst have occurred several times in the tailing pond and the radioactive waste overflow into the paddy fields and the low-lying areas.
thOn 18 June 2008 due to heavy rain at Talsa village, the villagers in the locality also mentioned that the outlet
of tailing pond was unplugged by the UCIL Management to save pond as it was on the verge of collapse.
Because of the high contamination and radiation, Kumarchand Mardi recalled that several quintals of fish in
the downstream Subarnarekha River perished overnight. Several hundred snakes, rats and other rodents also
died. Paddy fields turned yellowish and dried up.
Tailing Pond Sludge
After extracting uranium from the ore, the rest of the mine waste in the form of sludge is pushed into the
tailing pond. Since only uranium is removed from the ore, the sludge contains all the remaining constituents
of the ore, including the long-lived decay products of uranium. Thus the sludge also contains particles of
In the government controlled uranium mines, laws and regulations are often tossed to the wind. For example, in
the Turamdih Uranium Mine, the tailing pond is constructed right in the middle of villages where Adivasi
communities have been living for generations. The nuclear waste
is dumped straight into pond that often leaks into the paddy fields
and further flows into the river. In summer, the water in the tailing
pond dries up and the wind blows up the radioactive dust in all
directions and settles in the nearby areas. These are all highly
objectionable issues. Children often play on these dumps and
animals graze over them. There is no proper protection of the pond
with barbed wire. The tailing pond's water drains off in to the river
Subarnarekha contaminating the whole river with radiation.
Highly radioactive uranium sludge is regularly being transported
to other areas of Jharkhand, without proper protection and gets spilled all over the road.
The state Government of Jharkhand, under The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MNREGA) scheme, is constructing around 80,000 water wells to augment the shortage of drinking
water problems. The granite stones used for the construction of the wells are obtained from the uranium
mine waste. It is a matter of serious concern that needs to be probed along with a thorough investigation on
how the wells are being constructed from uranium mine waste.
16
Uranium mine waste dumped in
Dhodanga Village
thorium-230 and Radium 226. Due to technical limitations, all the uranium present in the ore is not fully
extracted. Thus the sludge contains 5 to 10 percent of the uranium initially present in the ore.
Atomic experts believe that sludge from the uranium mine waste contains around 85 per cent of the
radioactivity of the original ore, as well as the uranium decay products such as Thorium 230, Radium 226
and Radon 222.
Uranium-234 (U234) has a life of 247,000 years and decays into Thorium-230. Whereas Thorium-230
(Th230) has a life of 80,000 years and decays into Radium-226 which has a life of 1602 years to decay into
Radon-222 (Rn-222). Radon-222 is an alpha emitter with a life of just 3.82 days and decays into Polonium-
218 which again is an alpha radiator with a life of 3.05 minutes. Thus, the sludge in the tailing pond is a
dangerous stuff which has a radioactive life of almost 8 to16,00,000 (8-16 Lakh) years — simply in human
terms, forever.
Impacts of uranium decay products on living beings
Thorium-230 is especially toxic to the liver and the spleen. It has
been known to cause leukaemia and other blood diseases. It decays
to produce radium-226, which in turn produces Radon gas, a very
powerful cancer-causing agent. Even small doses of Radon if
inhaled repeatedly over a long time can cause lung cancer. Even
though radon-222 has a comparatively short half-life of 3.8 days, its
quantity will not diminish for a long time, because it is constantly
being replenished by the decay of the very long-lived thorium-230.
The Uranium Tailing Pond in Talsa also emits Radon-222 into the
air.
Hence, the significant amount of radioactivity emitted from the tailing pond will continue for hundreds of
thousands of years. Radon gas can travel thousands of kilometres with a light breeze in just a few days and
thus affect people living very far away from the tailings pond as well.
Drs. Surendra and Sangamitra Gadekar are of the opinion that the UCIL never informs people about the
dangerous radioactivity happening in the tailing pond. They further pointed out that while conducting a
study on the impacts of the radiation on the Adivasis in Jadugoda, they had found that anyone who is
continuously exposed to Radon gas could invariably develop lung cancer. The radioactive debris from the
Jadugoda uranium mine has also polluted the underground water and the Subarnarekha River flowing
through the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. Water from this river is used for agriculture and
drinking by the people living in all these states.
The innocent Adivasis living in Talsa and the adjoining villages, who have never heard of complex scientific
words such as Thorium, Plutonium, and Radon and so on, are simply not aware of the fact that they are
continuously exposed to Radon gas and other uranium decay products. They are vulnerable to constant
radiation, which in turn will make them prone to cancer or leukaemia. A mere sight of the people living in
Turamdih village – very close to the UCIL mine and the tailing pond – makes it amply clear that the
radiation is taking a terrible toll on their lives. Most of the villagers look frail, sick, suffering and gradually
would die from radiation related diseases. No one knows exactly, how many innocent villagers have fallen
prey to various radiation-related diseases, because the UCIL authorities do not keep a track them. Even if
17
Uranium Tailing Pond in Talsa Village
The table below shows the Decay products of Uranium and their life cycles:
Symbol Element Radiation Half-Life Decay
Product
U-238 Uranium-238 alpha 4,460,000,000 years Th-234
Th-234 Thorium-234 beta 24.1 days Pa-234
Pa-234 Protactinium-234 beta 1.17 minutes U-234
U-234 Uranium-234 alpha 247,000 years Th-230
Th-230 Thorium-230 alpha 80,000 years Ra-226
Ra-226 Radium-226 alpha 1,602 years Rn-222
Rn-222 Radon-222 alpha 3.82 days Po-218
Po-218 Polonium-218 alpha 3.05 minutes Pb-214
Pb-214 Lead-214 beta 27 minutes Bi-214
Bi-214 Bismuth-214 beta 19.7 minutes Po-214
Po-214 Polonium-214 alpha 1 microsecond Pb-210
Pb-210 Lead-210 beta 22.3 years Bi-210
Bi-210 Bismuth-210 beta 5.01 days Po-210
Po-210 Polonium-210 alpha 138.4 days Pb-206
Pb-206 Lead-206 none Stable (none)
Water contamination
Most of the villagers who live near the mines draw water either from the hand pumps installed by UCIL or
from the community wells. While interacting with these villagers, many of them complained that their
drinking water is tasteless and turns red if kept for a while and corrodes the vessels. The villagers are
unaware that they are drinking radiated water and their drinking water sources have already been
contaminated by the uranium mines.
During monsoon, Jharkhand receives substantial rainfall. Heavy rainfall often causes severe flooding. The
unprotected uranium tailing pond in Talsa is also affected by floods and could cause the failure of the tailing
dam, overflow and spill over the uranium sludge into nearby areas. Similar spill-overs have been happening
in uranium tailing ponds across the world, with frightening impacts on people and the environment. If such a
major failure happens to the Talsa pond, the impacts of which are left to one's imagination of the reader.
One such accident had already happened in the tailing dam in Talsa in June 2008, due to heavy rain and flood,
the dam was on the verge of collapse. The massive leak in the tailing dam bund sent thousands of gallons of
Source: http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/radiological/radon/chain.htm
18
liquid radioactive waste to the nearby paddy fields and into Subarnarekha River. This was one of the largest
radioactive waste spill-overs in India. Few people have heard of this disaster, because it took place in a remote
area in the state of Jharkhand, where the media has hardly any interest. So the national media simply ignored it,
barring few local news papers. But the Adivasis living near pond and downstream suffered heavy loss.
The seepage from the Talsa tailing pond has already
contaminated the ground and surface water and the
drinking water sources. Soon, it will also contaminate
the drinking water sources of other villages adjoining
Talsa village. It has been contaminating the
Subarnarekha and Kharkai Rivers for several years,
affecting thousands of people living downstream. The
water in the tailing pond has very high acid content.
Whenever there is a seepage or overflow from the pond,
everything that comes into contact with the sludge is
severely affected. The plants dry up immediately, pests
and insects also die in a short time.
Sahebram Murmu, a resident of the Talsa village had pointed out that during the construction of the tailing
pond, the UCIL had rampantly cut down thousands of trees which adversely affected their local
environment. Now the remaining trees around the tailing pond are also dying up, due to the high acidity level
in the pond. Domestic animals grazing nearby get trapped inside the pond and drink the sludge water. The
animals even if rescued from the pond, die within a day or two due to the poisonous water. Sahebram further
pointed out that in future, it would be very difficult for the villagers to live here. The villagers have already
lost their agricultural land to the mines and the pond. Now even the remaining small pieces of land they have
are also being destroyed by the tailing pond.
Due to heavy mining, most of the wells in nearby villages have dried up or the water level has gone down
very deep. The water from the hand pumps are no longer safe to be consumed. Because of leaching, most of
the hand pumps have been contaminated.
The radiation from the mines and the tailing pond is a big issue, but people living in the villages nearby are
not able to gaze the effects or judge the impacts by themselves. According to Arjun Samad, president of the
Turamdih Vistapit Samiti, the issue of radiation is being ignored or overlooked be the people here. People
living here are disturbed over several other issues such as livelihood, farming, employment etc. Whenever
the Turamdih Vistapit Samiti raises these issues and protest, police harass the villagers and book them under
several false cases. Custodial violence at the police
station is also a big issue. Arjun further recalled that
recently, several boys belonging to the Turamdih
Vistapit Samiti trade union were tortured and abused by
the police, because they raised voices against the UCIL. 16The police derogatorily call the Adivasis 'junglee' and
uncivilized etc., If the Adivasis try to lodge a complaint
against these abuses, further violence awaits them with
trumped charges and more fabricated cases against
them.
19
A UCIL managed handpump in Dhodanga Village
Contaminated water from the handpump
RADIATION COUNT IN AND AROUND URANIUM MILLS & MINES
DATE TIME PLACE LOCATION RADIATION REMARKS6/11/2012
6/11/2012
6/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
7/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
8/11/2012
5.24 pm
5.30 pm
5.36 pm
9.30 am
9.36 am
9.42 am
9.48 am
9.55 am
10.06 am
10.11 am
12.49 pm
10.57 am
11.04 am
11.09 am
11.10 am
11.12 am
11.13 am
11.19 am
11.27 am
11.28 am
11.30 am
3.47 pm
3.53 pm
4.02 pm
Sundernagar
Sundernagar
Sundernagar
Turamdih UCIL Mills & Mines
Talsa Uranium Tailing Pond
Talsa Uranium Tailing Pond
Bada Talsa Village
Chota Talsa Village
Talsa Uranium Tailing Pond
Turamdih Basti
Samekit Jan Vikas Kendra
Aharguttu Village
Kerwadungri Village
Kerwadungr Village
Kerwadungri Village
Kerwadungri Village
Kerwadungri Village
Dhodhanga Village
Turamdih UCIL Colony
Turamdih UCIL Colony
Turamdih UCIL Colony
Banduhurang uranium opencast mining
Banduhurang uranium opencast mining
Banduhurang uranium opencast mining
Market Road junction
Market Road junction
Market Road junction
100 metres from the mines at the roadside
Eastern boundary of tailing pond on the roadside
Western boundary of the tailing pond on the roadside
In front of Government Primary School
At the entry point of the village
Southern side of the tailing pond
Adjoining the Talsa Tailing Pond
Sundernagar Patel Bagan
UCIL Colony Boundary
Uranium waste dumped in the field
Uranium waste dumped in the field
Uranium waste dumped in the field
Uranium Waste dumped in the roadside
Public Road
Centre of the village
Exit gate of the colony
Public Road
Inside the colony on the roadside
Entrance of the opencast mining
Open cast mines boundary
Uranium waste dump
0.08 mcSv*/hr
0.25mcSv/hr
0.18 mcSV/hr
0.54 mcSv/hr (Uranium slurry dumped on the road)
0.32 mcSv/hr
0.23 mcSv/hr
0.11 mcSv/hr
0.19 mcSv/hr
0.32 mcSV/hr
0.47 mcSv/hr
0.25 mcSv/hr
0.40 mcSv/hr
0.37 mcSv/hr
1.20 mcSv/hr
1.26 mcSv/hr
1.37 mcSv/hr
1.41 mcSv/hr
0.21 mcSv/hr
0.82 mcSv/hr
0.65 mcSv/hr
0.60 mcSv/hr
0.44 mcSv/hr
1.22 mcSv/hr
1.88 mcSv/hr
Prior to the truck passing away loaded with uranium slurry
After the truck loaded with uranium slurry passed away
After the another truck loaded with uranium slurry passed away
Very high background radiation
High background radiation
High background radiation
Low Background radiation
Low Background radiation
High background radiation
High background radiation. The village is on the verge of displacement where the mining would start. Villagers seemed to be sick and weary.
Low Background radiation
High background Radiation
High background Radiation
Very High Background Radiation
Very High background Radiation
Very High background radiation
Very High radioactive zone
Low Background radiation
High background radiation
High background radiation
High background radiation
High background radiation
Very High background radiation
Very High Radioactive zone
*microsieverts/hr: The sievert (symbol:Sv) is the International System of Units (SI) derived unit of equivalent radiation dose, effective dose, and committed dose. Quantities that are measured in sieverts are designed to represent the stochastic biological effects of ionizing radiation. The sievert should not be used to express the unmodified absorbed dose of radiation energy, which is a clear physical quantity measured in grays. To enable consideration of biological effects, further calculations must be performed to convert absorbed dose into effective dose, the details of which depend on the biological context. This can be far more complicated than just multiplying by a weighting factor. The sievert is of fundamental importance in radiation dosimetry, and is named after Rolf Maximilian Sievert, a Swedish medical physicist renowned for work on radiation dosage measurement and research into the biological effects of radiation. One sievert equals 100 rem, an older unit of measurement still in widespread use. One sievert carries with it a 5.5% chance of eventually developing cancer. Doses greater than 1 sievert received over a short time period are likely to cause radiation poisoning, possibly leading to death within weeks.
20
DISPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION
isplacement caused by uranium mining is a part of the broader context of development-induced
displacement. Social and economic issues from displacement are divergent, depending on where the Ddisplaced lived and where they have been rehabilitated. In our case, the displaced are largely Adivasi
farmers and agricultural workers, who either owned a piece of fertile agricultural land or earned a livelihood as a
worker. Those displaced by the uranium mines found to be suffering from lack of proper alternative livelihood
sources. Other factors that lead to the poor situation of the displaced are also due to inadequate compensation,
chaotic plans of resettlement, and lack of systemic social support in the new place of residence. In the remote
regions of Jharkhand, where there is absence of proper democratic governance and lack of participation from
the government could be the reason why the displaced are often not resettled well.
Identity Crisis
It emerged from the interaction with the displaced villagers that earlier the Adivasi identity was based on
their indigenous rights and traditional practices which has been lost due to the loss of land and other
resources. Now, the identity of the Adivasi is reduced to a mere piece of paper – a certificate – procured
either from the school they studied or from the government, which they must possess all the time. This is a
major paradigm shift in terms of the indigenous identity of the Adivasis is concerned.
UCIL's injustice
Several villagers and leaders confided that there is lot of injustice being meted out to those displaced due to
mining, especially the Adivasis. The UCIL is opposed to a full rehabilitation package for the displaced and
also not in favour of the upliftment of the Adivasis. Keeping this in view, there have been lots of protests in
this region. Several struggle groups have been formed to fight for the rights of the displaced. Many groups
are demanding that all those displaced be given proper benefits, regular employment and proper
rehabilitation package for their community development. The meagre amount of compensation that the
displaced received would neither be enough to build a house nor to buy a plot of land.
High Level Committee
First of all, there is an urgent need to set up a high level committee to look at the issues of displacement,
rehabilitation and radiation. Once the committee is set up and a thorough study is under taken, the result of
the study should be revealed to the public, so that everyone will know the truth. In an interview, Arvind
Anjum, a senior functionary of Vistapit Mukti Vahini told that, there are uranium mines all over the world
and the issue of radiation is also being faced in those countries too. It is important to find out how these
countries manage the issues of radiation and control it. If those countries could effectively deal with
radiation, then it could be implemented here also. The measures to be taken for the implementation should
be done immediately. If there is radiation, then it should be controlled, at par with other mines in the rest of
the world. The impact of radiation would affect not only the Adivasis, but everyone including the people
who are employed by UCIL and their officers. If there is high radiation level in the uranium mining areas,
then the UCIL and the government together should make that information public and awareness need to be
created regarding radiation related issues. When people's movements and other groups claim that there is
radiation, the government often brands them as anti-national, biased and anti-development. This is a great
loss not only for the movement groups, but also for the government and the people at large.
21
Arvind continued to critically look at the role of the UCIL and
pointed out that, the UCIL and its parental body the DAE are
directly under the control of the Prime Minister of this country.
However, both of them often maintain high level of secrecy. The
lives of people should be taken into consideration as the issues
of radiation are important sensitive issues. An expert committee
should be set up to look into these issues and to find out what are
the real needs of the people and their safety.
Flawed Rehabilitation Policy
Those who are displaced by uranium mining and milling should be brought under a sustainable rehabilitation
and livelihood plan. This is a sensitive issue because many of the displaced Adivasis who are employed by
UCIL may have work now, but not after 20 or 30 years when the mining has been stopped or mine is closed down
due to lack of raw materials or government decisions. After few years, these workers would retire and the next
generation from the displaced families may not get the same job in the mines. Thus, a comprehensive
sustainable rehabilitation plan that can work for a long period of time should be put in place.
In the Turamdih uranium mine, most of the Adivasis are working there are temporary workers. The UCIL
has no plans to educate the workers and given them proper knowledge about radiation. The villagers whose
land has been taken away are also not fully aware of the impacts of the project. The focus of the most of the
unions and social movement groups working for the welfare of the displaced Adivasis are only focusing on
getting compensation, more money and few jobs in the company. Thus the rehabilitation policy that is really
sustainable is not being developed in the whole of Jharkhand. The union leadership and the social movement
groups working on rehabilitation are only concentrating on some financial aspects of displacement.
The rehabilitation package for the uranium mine displaced is an isolated activity. There is a lack of long term
vision to understand that employment related rehabilitation is only for one generation but not for the second
or third generation. The social-cultural background from which the people claiming for job is also different
here. The displaced Adivasis, who were primarily farmers and agricultural workers from rural areas - even
if they are employed by the UCIL - are not fully prepared to utilize the benefits of employment in a
maximum manner. Because of all these factors, the movement against uranium mining is not connected with
other social movement groups in the country. They are an isolated group who are victims of tunnel vision.
Major Findings of the Survey
Table 1: Occupation and Livelihood of the Displaced
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name Of Village/ Hamlet
Bada Talsa
Chota Talsa
Dhodanga
Gaghidih
Sunder Nagar
Nandup
Kerva Dungri
Banduhurang
Mohuldih
No. Of Houses Surveyed
32
22
40
20
60
30
43
35
25
Major Occupation
Farming
Farming
Farming
Farming
Labourer
Farming
Farming
Farming
Farming
Other Occupation
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Labourer
Average Earning In The Family P/M In Rs.
3500
3000
3500
2500
4500
3500
3000
3500
4500
Land Taken Away For Mining/Tailing Pond
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Satisfied With The Compensation
Very Little
Very Little
Very Low
Very Little
Not Par With Market Rate
Very Low
Not Satisfied As Per Market Rate
Not Satisfied
More or less satisfied
22
A tribal house being demolished for
Uranium mining
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name Of Village/
Hamlet
Bada Talsa
Chota Talsa
Dhodanga
Gaghidih
Sunder Nagar
Nandup
Kerwadungri
Banduhurang
Mohuldih
No. Of People Employed
With UCIL/ Or Under
Contractor
Approximately 25 People
Reported Working Either With
UCIL Or Under A Contractor
10 People Reported To Be
Working Under A Contractor
Approximately 15 People
Reported Are Either With
UCIL Or Under A Contractor
Not Declared
Most People Are Either
Working As Labourers Under
Contractors Or Working For
Various Companies
Not Declared
Around 5 People Only
Reported To Be Working For
UCIL
Approximately 10 People Are
Working With UCIL And
Another 15 People Reported To
Be Working As Labourers
Under A Contractor
Most Of The Male Members
And Few Female Members Are
Working Under UCIL As
Labourers
Employment
Category
Casual Worker/Deep
In The Mines
Casual Workers
Working In The Mine
Casual Workers
Working At Blasting
Site Or At Store
Labourer
Not Many Declared
Mostly Casual
Workers, Mechanics,
Drivers Etc.,
Working As Casual
Labourers In The
Open Cast Mining
Mostly As Labourers
Mostly As Labourers
Mostly As Labourers
Displaced By
Mining
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ever Been Harrassed By
Police/UCIL
Yes/
Several Times/Charged
With False Cases
Yes/Several Times/
Charged With False Cases
Yes/Several Times/
Charged With False Cases
Yes / Several Times
Yes / Several Times/
Charged With False Cases
Yes/ Several
Times
Yes/Several Times
Yes/Several
Times/Charge
d With False
Cases
Few Protested
Table 2: Employment of Displaced by Uranium Mines
23
Uranium sludge is dumped in the open in Bandhuhurang Village
Table 2: Employment of Displaced by Uranium Mines
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name Of
Village/Hamlet
Bada Talsa
Chota Talsa
Dhodanga
Gaghidih
Sunder Nagar
.Nandup
Kerwadungri
Banduhurang
Mohuldih
Drinking Water
Source
Hand pump
Hand pump
Hand pump
Hand pump
Pipe Water And
Hand pump
Hand pump
Hand pump
Hand pump
Hand Pump/ Well
Drinking Water Quality
Contaminated/Red Coloured
Contaminated When
Blasting Happens/ Red
Coloured
Contaminated
H a n d p u m p W a t e r
Contaminated/Discoloured
Contaminated/ Tastes Bad/ If
Water Kept Overnight Turns
In to Red Colour And
Corrodes Aluminium Vessels
Contaminated/ Tastes Bad/ If
Water Kept Overnight Turns
In to Red Colour And
Corrodes Aluminium Vessels
Contaminated/If Water Kept
Overnight Turns Red,
Corrodes Vessels
Not Reported Anything
Adverse
Drinking Water
Maintenance
UCIL
UCIL
UCIL
Municipality/Panchayat
UCIL
UCIL
Do Not Know
Do Not Know
Health Facilities In The
Village
No – Only Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL Gets
Facility At The Mining Site
No – Only Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL Gets
Facility At The Mining Site
No – Only Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL get
facility At The Mining Site
No
Primary Health Centre
No
No
No
Only Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL Gets
Facility At The Mining Site
Table 4: Health Issues of People Living near Uranium Mines
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name Of
Village/
Hamlet
Bada Talsa
Chota Talsa
Dhodanga
Gaghidih
SunderNagar
Nandup
Kerwadungri
Banduhurang
Mohuldih
Diseases/Ailments
Skin Problems
Skin Allergies
Itching. Skin Problems,
Headache /Giddiness
When Approaching The
Uranium Waste Dump
Miscarriage/Other
Gynaecological
Problems
Several
Several
Few
Not Declared
Not Declared
Few
Few
Few
Didn't Say
Congenital
Deformities/
2
2
2
Not Yet Known
Not Yet Known
1
Not Yet Known
2
Not Yet Known
Other Illness
Skin Problems
Skin
Irritations
Skin Problems
Not Yet
Known
Skin Allergies
Not Yet
Known
Aware About
Radiation
Few – Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL
Few – Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL
Few – Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL
No
No
Few – Those Who Are
Employed With UCIL
No
No
No
24
Table 5: Awareness about the Impacts of Uranium Tailing Pond
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name Of Village/Hamlet
Bada Talsa
Chota Talsa
Dhodanga
Gaghidih
Sunder Nagar
Nandup
Kerwadungri
Banduhurang
Mohuldih
UCIL Informs About
Radiation
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Aware About
TheImpacts Of
Tailing Pond
Negligible
Very Few
Ignorant
Ignorant
Very Few
Very Few
Ignorant
Ignorant
No Idea
Family Breakup
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Not Much
Protest Against
UCIL
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Not Much
25
A tribal severely affected by Uranium mine in Dhodanga Village
Social Exclusion
Another aspect related to the impacts of uranium mining is the serious issue of social exclusion of the
displaced Adivasis. The social exclusion of the displaced victims has happened in other development
projects too. For example, in the Subarnarekha Multipurpose Project in Chandil, the girls and boys living in
the dam submergence zone faced serious difficulties in getting married as their lives were rife with
uncertainty. Even when the displaced communities are relocated at another location, they faced isolation
and ostracisation at the new place. In Jharkhand, there are innumerable such cases where the rehabilitated
people were often ostracized and isolated by the local villagers who are already living there. In such
situations, life becomes extremely painful for the displaced victims. When someone from the displaced
community died, even conducting the last rituals for the dead used to be extremely difficult as the locals
instead of lending a helping hand, created troubles by putting up objections on cremation rituals and sites.
Such is the degree of exclusion and expulsion the displaced Adivasis have to undergo, it seems there is no
end to their sufferings even during their last journey.
People in living in Turamdih, Jaduguda and Banduhurang, not only suffer from serious ailments due to
radiation but also social exclusion. Around four decades ago, just the way it used to happen in leprosy
colonies, the social exclusion is happening to people who are displaced by uranium mines. Very seldom
marriages take place in leprosy colonies as young men and women affected by leprosy used to live in
isolation and exclusion. Similarly, in the uranium radiation zones, such issues have surfaced. Adivasis living
in and around the uranium mines are often excluded from attending marriage functions of their relatives
living in other villages. Even if they are invited, they would be served food in different utensils, which are
kept separate from other utensils. During some family functions or religious rituals Adivasis living in
Jaduguda or Turamdih are not invited to take part. Adivasis and others living in Jaduguda, Turamdih and
others are socially excluded within their communities and even outside. It's a serious issue which needs to be
studied by the Government and NGOs so that that, measures could be taken to stop these things.
Lack of Food Security
In areas where people are displaced due to development projects, food security is a big concern. When
people are displaced from their traditional homes, it is a direct attack on their livelihood. There are deliberate
attempts to delink the displaced or the affected communities from their livelihood sources, so that they are
forced to quit their homes and land or migrate to a nearby by town in search of work or livelihood. In uranium
mining areas, there should be a special need for PDS, health facilities and other basic amenities. These areas
also require more public health centres (PHC) as compared to other normal areas. Even those who are not
apparently suffering from any ailments, need to be examined and continuously monitored. The displaced
people need special health facilities, which need to be developed. Children and pregnant women need to be
given special care and examined regularly. Antenatal care has to be properly implemented to avoid infants
being born with physical deformities and undernourished. There is an alarming increase in the malnutrition
levels among the displaced. Anaemic cases among women are very high among the displaced victims. At the
moment, only those employed by the UCIL are given some kind of health benefits but their health records
are kept in secrecy. Those villagers who are displaced but not employed by UCIL do not get any health
facilities nor are they given instructions on the impacts of radiation.
26
Health Issues
A Supreme Court ruling had allocated about six categories of people as
beneficiaries for the disbursal of Antyodaya Anna Yojana Scheme. The Jharkhand Government should also
take such decision into consideration to include those people who are affected by uranium mines for the 17
disbursal of relief under Below Poverty Line (BPL) or Antyodaya 18
Anna Yojana schemes. Invariably, all those who are affected by
uranium mines should also get the benefits of health insurance
schemes. The elderly displaced people should be given pension and all
those affected by uranium mining or radiation should be dealt in a
compassionate manner. But in Jaduguda, Turamdih and Banduhurang,
it's lacking. The UCIL, a Government-run enterprise which is directly
under the PMO has been showing callousness and apathy towards the
Adivasis whose land had been acquired for mining. This is a real
criminal apathy and negligence from the part of the government. The
Food Security situation in this area is quite terrible as compared to
other areas in Jharkhand. Instead of looking at these issues in a realistic
manner, the UCIL and the Government officials often downplay the
deaths and diseases due to radiation in the area. It does not even
scientifically diagnose the cause behind various diseases that afflict the
people living near the mines. Instead, the UCIL stonewalls all the information under the truncated Official
Secrets Act.
The UCIL neither conducts medical camp nor undertakes any
developmental work or welfare programmes for the displaced Adivasis.
If anyone is sick or suffers from any ailment UCIL tries to confuse or
indulges in argument that it's not due to radiation, so that things are
pushed under the carpet. The UCIL should not indulge in such sort of
discussion that it is due to radiation or not. As a public company doing a
responsible job for the whole nation, UCIL is accountable to the
villagers who are living within the vicinity of the mines and it is the
responsibility of the company to keep them free from any ailments. But
the UCIL is totally failing in its social obligations. As a result, there are
regular protests by the Adivasis and their discontentment is brewing up
against the company and the management.
27
A Uranium mining affected child
A Uranium mining affected child
PROTEST CONTINUES.....
he villagers have been protesting against the uranium mines and the
tailing pond right from the beginning, when the construction for the
Turamdih Uranium Tailing Pond began. The UCIL authorities seeing
the protest brewing up against the tailing pond, deployed large number
of police force. The police arrested the protestors several times. On each
occasion of protest, the villagers were arrested in large numbers and
taken to the police station where they had to undergo the wrath of the
police. Beaten up severely, abused, and kept in police custody for
several hours, the protestors would be let off with sound warning and of
dire consequences if the continued to protest. Many of the villagers have been charged under several false cases.
In spite of several protests, the UCIL with the help of the police completed the work on the pond.
If UCIL workers protest, they face victimisation
Most of the Adivasis displaced by the Turamdih and Banduhurang mines are yet to be rehabilitated. Only
few have been given employment. Some villagers whose land has been acquired have not been given any
compensation or employment. Even those who got job in UCIL, work as daily wage labourers who work in
the deep mines. Several displaced Adivasis have no work or do some manual labour to meet their daily needs
and are left to fend for themselves. According to Sagar Besra, the President of the Jharkhand Krantikari
Mazdoor Union (JKMU) which was formed for the welfare of Adivasis working in UCIL -- the displaced
Adivasis often do not benefit from the development projects in the area, especially from the uranium mines.
The UCIL had terminated several workers for participating in union formation activities. As a result, JKMU 19has been organising dharnas and road blockades with the help of villagers and forced the management to
reach an agreement. After a long fight with UCIL, several workers were reinstated. Now the union is trying
to fight for the increase of wages for the manual labourers working in the mines. Sagar Besra recalled that
when the displaced Adivasi workers engage in the activities of the union, the UCIL in collusion with the
local police try to implicate them on false charges. The workers struggles are far more painful than just
fighting for wages and other benefits.
The policy of the UCIL is not much in favour of the displaced victims, their rehabilitation and upliftment.
Keeping that in view, the unions working here force the UCIL administration and the government by
engaging in various types of protests to demand that the displaced be given proper benefits, regular
employment and a proper rehabilitation package for the community.
UCIL's Public Hearing and people's protest
In October 2010, simmering anger over land acquisition for Uranium Corporation of India Limited's (UCIL)
Turamdih mines expansion plan and spilled onto the streets, when the protesting villagers' blocked the
approach road to scuttle a Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) public hearing on the project.
The UCIL required a no-objection certificate from state pollution control authorities to expand its mining
capacity at Turamdih from the 3,000 metric tonnes to 4,500 metric tonnes. The public hearing was
mandatory step to that effect.
UCIL required an additional 41.77 acres of land at Nandup village, adjoining Turamdih, in Sundernagar to
28
Photo Courtesy: http://www.thiscorrespondence.files.
wordpress.com/201210Tribals protest against CRPF
give shape to its expansion dream. Villagers were kept in the dark about land requirement and were not
notified about the public hearing. Villagers pulled down the podium where pollution control board officials
were to hold the hearing. They also blocked the road leading to the venue outside Turamdih mines premises.
Several senior officials of UCIL and JSPCB, who had turned up for the hearing, were forced to go back.
Another public hearing in March 2011 was also put off due to stiff resistance by the villagers. It was the
second time a public hearing organised by the regional office of JSPCB for UCIL was conked. The first was
called off on October 20, 2010 when villagers barricaded the venue. Protestors opposed the expansion of the
mines because the UCIL had betrayed the Adivasis. The UCIL never adequately compensated those who
were displaced when the Turamdih mines became operational.
Conclusion
In spite of the formation of a new state, the Adivasi communities in Jharkhand continue to struggle to retain
their indigenous identity, collective ownership, community rights, and traditional religious practices.
Amidst a highly exploitative environment, the poor Adivasis have become the unscrupulous victims of
displacement, impoverishment, poverty and degradation. The new political regime, instead of embarking on
a mission that would regain the vision and ideology the legendary Adivasi leaders like Bhagwan Birsa
Munda, Murmu brothers, Tilka Majhi and thousands of Adivasis who vigorously fought and sacrificed their
lives to retain the Adivasi identity and culture, has now joined hands with big corporations and the industrial
mafia to exploit the remaining resources in the state. Several hundred MOUs have already been signed by
various governments that came to power. The stage has been set to auction off the state to multinationals
while smashing the aspirations of millions of Adivasis. As hundreds of factories and industrial units
mushroom all over the state, continuing the loot of the land and resources, the hapless Adivasis remain moot
witnesses to the merciless slaughter of their land and identity, at the altar of development.
Mining-induced displaced people are often victims of human rights violations and also suffer from
economic problems and social issues. Some of the common problems faced by the displaced are also found
in communities displaced by uranium mining and milling activities. Some of the issues are given below:
1. Inadequate or no compensation for lost property
2. Exploitation of community resources
3. Breakup of social ties and family
4. Lack of housing facilities
5. Loss of livelihood and social and cultural values
6. Social exclusion
7. Health problems and lack of nutrition
8. Impacts of radiation related health problems and lack of proper treatment.
Only a thorough epidemiological study would reveal the real impacts of the uranium mines and radiation
from the tailing pond on human beings living nearby. A comparative study needs to be conducted on people
living near the mines and people living far off from the mines, to find out the rate of bone, testicular and
ovarian cancers. Until then, the people living in Turamdih, Banduhurang and Jaduguda will continue to pay
a heavy price for thousands of years to come.
Given the serious impacts the uranium mining can cause to humanity, the immediate question that comes to
our mind is whether this type of development projects is worth pursuing? Should not the uranium mines be
29
closed down and all works be stopped immediately?
Closing down of the mines, mills, the tailing ponds and cleaning up the nuclear and radioactive waste is a
costly, billion dollar business operation, which the UCIL is not willing to undertake. Instead, it would opt for
the easy way round. With all the blessings from the PMO and abundant funds at hand, it is easy for the UCIL
to resort to violent tactics and hooliganism to silence the voices of protest, suppress dissent and brand
villagers, social activists and NGOs as 'anti nationals', 'anti-developmental' and enemies of the 'Bharat
Mata'.
Shutting down the dirty business of uranium mining in the whole country is a big political issue that
concerns the people of India and its security. We should wait for the day, when the masses of this country and
the government are able to collectively see the wisdom, that the uranium mining is a very risky business that
can adversely affect people's health and the environment. Only then, these dangerous mines could be closed
down and other alternative sources of energy could be searched which are more eco-friendly and
sustainable. Until then, the hapless victims of uranium mines in Jharkhand, especially the Adivasis whose
land and resources are being looted away would continue to suffer for a long time to come and their Paradise
Lost!
Abbreviations:
AAY : Antyodaya Anna Yojana
AEC : Atomic Energy Commission
AERB : Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
CNT Act : Chotanagpur Tenancy Act
DAE : Department of Atomic Energy
GDP : Gross Domestic Product
GGF : Global Green Grants, USA
JKMU : Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union
JSPCB : Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board
MNREGA : The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
MOU : Memorandum of Understanding
MW : Mega Watt (1000 Kilowatt = 1 Mega watt)
NGO : Non-Governmental Organisation
PDS : Public Distribution System
PEACE : Popular Education and Action Centre
PHC : Public Health Centre
PMO : Prime Minister's Office
RCC : Reinforced Concrete Construction
TVS : Turamdih Vistapit Samiti
UCIL : Uranium Corporation of India Ltd.
30
References:
About Jharkhand, online at: http://jharkhand.gov.in/AboutState_fr.html
Banduhurang Uranium Mining Project: Executive Summary, UCIL
Bindrai Institute for Research Study and Action (BIRSA) online at: http://www.birsa.in
Dias, Xavier, 'Radiological Pollution from Uranium Mines — Conference on Health and Environment', New
Delhi, July 6-9, 1998, Centre for Science and Environment. For a detailed understanding of the radioactive
behaviour of different protégés.
East Singhbhum, online at: http://jamshedpur.nic.in/
Gadekar Surendra and Sangamitra (Drs.), The Real Cost of Nuclear Power, Sampoorna Kranti
Vidyalaya, Vedchhi, Gujarat.
Health Impacts of Uranium: please refer to, online at: http://www.wise-uranium.org/indexu.html#UMMIMP
Mukerjee, Rina, Protest against uranium mines, online at: http://www.civilsocietyonline.com April 2007
Population of Jharkhand, online at: http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/censusinfodashboard/stock/profiles/en/IND020_Jharkhand.pdf
Radioactivity and its by-products, refer online at:http://www.ccnr.org/decay_U238.html
Sarangi, A.K., D. R. Dash and P. P. Sharma; Some observations on uranium mineralisation at Turamdih,
UCIL Report.
Tanaka, Yuki, The myth of safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy, Infochange News & Features, March
2011.
Sources of Information:
Interaction with villagers of Chota Talsa, Bada Talsa, Turamdih, Nandup, Banduhurang, Mohuldih, Sunder
Nagar, Gram Sabha Members Dhodanga village and the Panchayat President, Nandup village.
Interaction with Trade Union leaders, Sagar Besra, President, Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union and
Arjun Samad, President, Turamdih Vistapit Samiti.
Interaction with Adivasi leaders, Kumarchand Mardi and Samay Soren.
Interaction with activists, Xavier Dias, Philip Kujur, Sunil Minz, Arvind Anjum and Balram.
Interaction with Medical experts, Dr. Abhijit Das, Dr. Surender Gadekar and Dr. Sangamitra Gadekar.
End Notes:
1. GDP: Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value of all officially recognized final goods and services produced within a
country in a given period of time. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living.
2. Adivasi, meaning First People, is how the indigenous peoples of peninsular India prefer to be known by. According to government
statistics, they constitute 8.5 percent of the country's 1.2 billion population; the actual figures could be double this number.
3. Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL) is a centrally owned Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), under the Department of Atomic
Energy for uranium mining and uranium processing. The corporation was founded in 1967 and is responsible for the mining and
milling of uranium ore in India. The firm operates mines at Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar, Turamdih and Banduhurang
4. For most Adivasi communities in India, the survival directly depends on access to land, water and forest resources. Where
communities have had long-term rights to these resources, they have often regulated their use to prevent over-exploitation and abuse,
31
ensuring their own subsistence while conserving nature. In recent times, this relationship between the Adivasi communities and their
natural environment has been ruptured by external forces that extract resources for various reasons. To protect their resources, the
Adivasi communities are resorting to campaigns with slogans Jal-Jangal-Zameen hamari hai (water, forests and land are ours) and
reclaims their collective rights over these resources.
5. The British (the people or citizens of United Kingdom) here refers to the rule of British Crown during the period of 1858 to 1947
beginning with the arrival of the East India Company in the year 1600 and gradually moving from trade to taking political control of
the subcontinent by the year 1857.
6. An official or a landholder in British colonial India responsible for collecting taxes and paying to the government, on the land under
his jurisdiction.
th7. Jagirdar system is a form of land tenancy developed around the 13 century during the Muslim rule in which the collection of the
revenues of an estate or an area of land and the power of governing it were bestowed on an official of the state. The term was derived by
combining two Persian words: Jagir (meaning holding land) and dar (meaning an official).
8. The Act XXXVII of 1855 was meant to return Santhal Parganas and restore them to the status of non-regulation district. For more
details about the act, refer to: Bengal District Gazetteers, Santhal Parganas, LSS O'Malley, 1910, Logos Press, Delhi.
9. The chief god, as well as the creator-god and sun-god, of the Munda tribe living in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh and
Orissa. Among the Ho tribe, Singbonga is called Sirma Thakur ('Lord of the Heaven'). He is venerated with sacrifices of white goats
and cocks.
10. Tata is a business and an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It encompasses
many business sectors. Tata Group was founded in 1868 by Jamsedji Tata as a trading company. It has operations in more than 80
countries across six continents. For more information about this group, online at: http://www.Tata.in/
11. The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act 1908 known as the safeguard to the Adivasis prohibits the transfer of Adivasis' land to non-Adivasis.
12. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) came into being on August 3, 1954 under the direct charge of the Prime Minister through a
Presidential Order. DAE has been engaged in the development of nuclear power technology, applications of radiation technologies in
the fields of agriculture, medicine, industry and basic research. Online at: http://dae.nic.in/
13. The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of
India. The Commission was first setup in August 1948 in the Department of Scientific Research but later it was moved to the
Department of Atomic Energy in 1958.
14. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was constituted on November 15, 1983 by the President of India by exercising the powers conferred
by the Atomic Energy Act to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act.
15. Bindrai Institute for Research Study and Action (BIRSA) online at: http://www.birsa.in
16. The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which means uncultivated land. Junglee, a term derogatorily used for
ridiculing Adivasis as primitive and uncivilized.
17. Below Poverty Line is an economic benchmark and poverty threshold used by the government of India to indicate economic
disadvantage and to identify individuals and households in need of government assistance and aid. It is determined using various
parameters which vary from state to state and within states
18. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana, an important milestone in providing food grains to the poor. It was launched on December 25, 2000 with
the intention of providing 25 kg. of food grains per month at highly subsidized rates of Rs. 2 per kg. for wheat and Rs. 3 per kg. for rice
to each Antyodaya family. The total number of families to be covered under this scheme was placed at one crore.
19. Dharna is a mode of protest often practiced in India for exacting justice or compliance with a just demand by sitting and protesting or
fasting at the doorstep of an offender until justice is granted.
Disclaimer
At the moment, this study is intended solely for private circulation. The authors do not own any liability arising from disclosing, copying,
distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this study. The authors of this study accept no liability for any damage caused by
any of the information contained in this report or for the consequences of any action taken on the basis of the information provided in this
Study. Several views and opinions expressed in this study are based on interactions with various individuals, experts, activists and the Adivasi
communities and that the authors may not represent the views or opinions given by various individuals. This study in no way intends to defame
or malign any individual, institution, organisation or any company because of any information found in this study and the authors are not
responsible or liable for any legal action.
32