Shillong, Sep 22: The Hynñiewtrep Youths Council (HYC) has written to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma expressing strong opposition to a recent directive of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) that exempts uranium and other atomic mineral mining projects from mandatory public consultations and hearings.
The pressure group urged the CM to convene a special session of the Meghalaya Assembly to pass a resolution opposing the Centre’s directive and to press the Union government to abandon any uranium mining programmes in the state.
The council said the office memorandum issued by the MoEFCC on September 8 undermines a key provision of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 2006 process, which requires affected communities to be consulted before approval of such projects.
In its letter, the HYC stressed that public consultations are vital for ensuring transparency and accountability in decision-making, as they allow stakeholders to voice concerns, access information and reject projects that could harm the environment and local communities.
“The OM strikes at the root of this important process with the objective of silencing communities like ours from raising concerns over projects that pose a potential threat to our existence,” the organisation stated.
The HYC further announced plans to hold public meetings in West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Shillong to mobilise support against the move and raise awareness about its implications for the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
