Shillong: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has strongly opposed the Central government’s recent decision to exempt uranium and other atomic mineral mining projects from mandatory public hearings, terming it a serious threat to indigenous rights and environmental protections.
The objection came during a council session held on Wednesday night, where Chief Executive Member (CEM) Winston Tony Lyngdoh tabled and passed a resolution rejecting the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)’s September memorandum.
The directive, issued under amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act, 2023, seeks to fast-track approvals for “critical and strategic” mineral projects by removing the requirement for prior public consultation.
Lyngdoh said the move would have grave implications for tribal communities in Meghalaya, undermining their traditional governance systems and enabling mining operations in tribal lands without local consent.
“Such exemptions dismiss community voices and pose risks to both public health and the environment,” he told the House.
The resolution urged the Centre to exclude all areas under the KHADC’s jurisdiction from the ambit of the memorandum. Lyngdoh added that the council had already written to the MoEFCC secretary seeking such an exemption but had not yet received a reply.
Opposition leader Titosstarwell Chyne, however, criticised the resolution as inadequate.
ALSO READ: Arunachal on alert as FMD, Japanese Encephalitis strike livestock in West Siang
He argued that restricting the appeal to Khasi Hills alone could imply acceptance of uranium mining in other tribal regions like the Jaintia and Garo Hills.
Chyne called on the council to demand a total withdrawal of the directive across all tribal territories in the state.
He further warned that scrapping public hearings would strip local communities of their right to be heard on mining projects that could irreversibly damage their ancestral lands and ecosystems.
Chyne reminded the council that past efforts by the Centre to initiate uranium mining in Meghalaya had been met with widespread public resistance over environmental and social concerns.
