The latest attempt by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) for exploration of uranium reserves in the forests of Kappatralla at Devanakonda block in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district has hit a roadblock following stiff resistance from local villagers.
The AMD, under the department of atomic energy ((DAE), proposed to take up drilling of 68 bores in 468.25 hectares of reserve forest area of Kappatralla under Adoni range for exploring the presence of uranium reserves.
On June 26, 2023, the Union ministry of environment and forests and climate change issued a notification giving approval for the conduct of survey for uranium reserves in the reserve forest area.
The people of Kappatralla and surrounding villagers were not aware of the proposal of the AMD to conduct drilling in the reserve forest for uranium reserves, till the authorities of the AMD, along with the local revenue and forest authorities landed in the area to make arrangements for drilling in the last week of October.
“In fact, in 2018 the authorities came here to do some preliminary surveys. When we asked them, they told us that the survey was for some mineral exploration, confined to just 6.8 hectares. We did not pay much attention to the activity then,” said P Chennama Naidu, sarpanch of Kappatralla.
But when the AMD officials, forest and revenue authorities began the survey for exploration of uranium, the villagers got suspicious and put up a stiff resistance. Several educated youngsters from the villages, including Chennama Naidu, who has a postgraduate degree in business administration (MBA), got information about the proposal following the notification issued by the MoEF last year and they took the initiative to educate the villagers.
“This is the age of internet and any information about any such activity is quickly available on fingertips. The educated youngsters spearheaded the campaign among the villagers against the proposed uranium exploration.” Naidu said.
On behalf of the villagers, the Kappatralla sarpanch dashed off a letter to Union minister for environment and forests Bhupender Yadav on Monday, requesting him to stall the proposed attempt to take up exploration of uranium in the reserved forest area, which is within 3 km radius of Kappatralla.
Naidu said Kappatralla and surrounding villages have suffered a lot due to frequent faction feuds for many years and had no irrigation facilities. It was only in the last few years that factionalism had come down and there has been a qualitative change in the living standards of people.
“At this stage, the proposal to take up exploration activity for uranium has come as a bolt from the blue. Everybody is apprehensive that the radioactivity that emanates from the element disturbs the entire ecosystem within its 25km radius. It will result in an increase in temperature and affect the flora and fauna in the forests,” he said.
The sarpanch added that because of the reserve forests, there has been some rainfall in 25 villages in the area. Besides, there is a 500-year-old temple of Lord Chenna Kesava in the middle of the forests and two waterbodies, he said and appealed to the Union minister to stall permissions for the uranium exploration activity.
On November 2, thousands of people belonging to Kappatralla and surrounding villages of P Kotakonda, Bethapalli, Chellela Chelimala, Madapuram and Gundlakonda took out a rally with a slogan of “Save Kappatralla.” The issue also took a political turn with the involvement of the Left parties and the local YSR Congress party leaders.
“The villagers had earlier submitted a memorandum to district collector P Ranjit Basha, requesting him not to cooperate with the central authorities to undertake the uranium exploration,” Kondappa, a local reporter of a vernacular daily, said.
The villagers laid siege to the Adoni-Kurnool road demanding immediate halt of any attempts to explore uranium in their villages, forcing the AMD authorities to backtrack on their proposal for now, Kondappa said.
On November 3, the district administration proposed a meeting with villagers to address the concerns of the locals, but the protesters boycotted it and announced that they would intensify their agitation.
On November 6, Kurnool superintendent of police G Bindhu Madhav issued a statement saying the district authorities have made it clear that there would be no digging activity in the reserve forest area.
He appealed to the locals not to escalate the issue further and resort to agitations. He also warned of stringent action against those who spread rumours of mining activity in the region on social media platforms.
