The North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) study into alleged high levels of radiation at Nongbah Jynrin, South West Khasi Hills, has found that, in fact, the radiation there is within acceptable limits, the government announced today.
However, the NEHU expert committee did find that a rivulet, Phud Syngkai, does have higher levels of radiation than the uranium waste storage tanks that were the site of the original radiation fears, despite being around 100 feet away from the latter.
Therefore, the state government has decided to undertake a “separate study on the rocks and sediment of the stream Phud Syngkai and get them analysed at a credible laboratory to determine the exact cause of the radiation,” the press release said.
The six-member NEHU team was led by Prof B Myrboh of the Department of Chemistry. The committee visited the site on November 10 and submitted its report to the government on December 17. An interactive session was held on January 20 under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, MS Rao.
NEHU had been tasked by the state government to probe the allegations that the uranium waste storage tanks, constructed by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) during an exploratory dig at the site in the 1990s, were damaged and leaking radioactive materials that could pose a danger to human, animal and plant life in the area. The allegations first came to prominence in September last year.
