Of Deaths, Deformities and Hindu Devil Worshipping
Sid Harth
0011110001,FF.html
IN POOR INDIAN STATE, DEFORMITIES BLAMED ON URANIUM MINING
GOVERNMENT, COMPANY OFFICIALS POINT TO LACK OF HEALTH CARE, UNSANITARY
CONDITIONS IN THE AREA
By Neelesh Misra
Associated Press
November 10, 2000
JADUGUDA, India -- Deep in the heart of a grassy valley, thousands of
laborers are helping build India's nuclear dreams at the country's only
uranium mining complex.
Two miles away, deformed children play in small clay huts.
Anti-nuclear activists say the two images are linked because radiation
from three mines and ponds of uranium sludge is causing disease,
physical abnormalities and death among thousands of indigenous people
in Bihar, one of India's poorest and least developed states.
Government officials, the mine operators and some radiation experts
deny the uranium complex has caused medical problems for the 4,500
employees or the tens of thousands of people living nearby. They blame
inbreeding, malnutrition and unsanitary health practices.
There are only a few qualified doctors in the region, and no extensive,
independent studies have been made. The mine operators and the
activists even report different levels of radiation in the area.
The dispute over possible dangers could spread to other regions as the
government steps up its hunt for new sources of uranium. But anti-
nuclear activists have only a feeble voice in India, partly because
there is little awareness of nuclear issues.
India, which does not import uranium, needs more fuel for its 12
existing and 16 planned nuclear power plants. Nuclear power supplies
about 3 percent of India's electricity and is planned to provide 10
percent by 2005.
The government also needs fuel for its atomic weapons program, which it
considers necessary for defense in a region where two of its neighbors,
Pakistan and China, have nuclear arms.
But for anti-nuclear activists, health threats outweigh those desires.
Near Jaduguda, activists guided journalists to villages near the mining
complex where children with deformities live alongside children who are
not deformed.
In Bango, a village 2 miles from a pond full of uranium waste, 3-year-
old Helligo Gop walked silently toward her family's mud house, holding
the hand of her younger brother, Haradhan, their heads enlarged by Down
syndrome, their shoulders drooping. They gasped after a few steps and
sat down to rest, still holding hands.
Bijoy Gop, 5, struggled as he drew a pair of feet on the dusty floor of
the village temple. He has only stubs for fingers and toes.
He was surrounded by friends with other afflictions. Kamal Lochan, 5,
cannot speak. Rupa, Kamal's 10-year-old sister, cannot hear. Sudhakar
Gop, 6, is deaf and mute.
Activists say deformed children are found in many villages in the
region and they blame the mine operations.
Ian Hore-Lacy, general manager of the Uranium Information Center in
Melbourne, Australia, which is financed by companies involved in
uranium exploration, mining and export, disagrees that the health
problems are related to radiation.
In a response to questions by e-mail, he said, "Radiation is not known
to cause deformities, or Down syndrome, in humans, except possibly from
reasonably high doses, for example from an atom bomb.
"I have heard various `horror stories' regarding Indian uranium mines,"
he said, adding that the "symptoms mostly did not make sense in
relation to the possible health effects even from a poorly managed mine
or plant."
R.K. Gupta, chairman of the state Uranium Corp. of India Ltd., denied
any links between the mines and health problems, and accused some
activists of raising groundless charges because of their opposition to
India's development of atomic weapons.
The task of activists is made harder by tough laws that limit most
nuclear-related investigation and research to government agencies.
The first independent study to assess possible radiation hazards in
Jaduguda began in July. Surendra Gadekar, a physicist formerly with the
prestigious Indian Institute of Science who finances his own studies,
took radiation readings at different places.
The background radiation in Jaduguda town was normal, while readings at
the ponds with uranium waste were several times higher than normal,
said Gadekar, who also is studying the possible effects of radiation in
areas around several nuclear power plants. But he said levels were 50
times higher than normal near a playground next to an air vent from the
mine.
Uranium Corp. said its laboratory regularly takes radiation readings at
30 different places in the area, including the playground. The
laboratory's head, Giridhar Jha, said the readings are a little higher
than normal, but not harmful.
Globally, the average background radiation level is about the
equivalent of getting 30 chest X-rays a year. The average Indian
background radiation level equals about 26 X-rays a year. In Jaduguda,
according to Uranium Corp. laboratory's own figures, the background
radiation level is about 38 chest X-rays a year.
At the mines, one of them 4,455 feet deep, the ore is crushed,
chemically treated and refined. "Yellowcakes" of uranium are then
loaded into barrels on trains and sent to a nuclear facility in
Hyderabad, about 900 miles away, for further processing.
The waste is sent back to Jaduguda to be dumped as sludge into ponds
spread across 150 acres.
Gupta, the Uranium Corp. chairman, and other government officials say
children's abnormalities are from malnutrition and lack of primary
health-care in the area, where living standards are the lowest in
Bihar.
Until a few years ago, people in Jaduguda bathed in the ponds, cattle
grazed on the shores and children played soccer close by, said Dr. N.K.
Upadhyay, an environmental biologist. He is studying the area to back a
case filed in India's Supreme Court this year by the Jaduguda
Organization Against Radiation.
Even now, villagers take home ore and the drums used to transport the
waste, said Ghanshyam Biruli, a tribal leader who heads the anti-
radiation group.
Gupta, the Uranium Corp. chairman, said all workers are provided
gloves, masks, helmets, boots and ear muffs to protect them against
radiation.
Saluka Ho, a miner who has loaded uranium ore since 1992, said
protective measures are not so stringent.
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/apr/17ura.htm
Survey ordered into radiation near uranium mines
The Bihar government has asked the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to
ascertain the possible effects of radiation on the residents of
Jadugoda village in east Simbhum district.
Many villagers there reportedly suffer cancer, physical disabilities
and other diseases, allegedly due to the radiation from the Uranium
Corporation of India Limited's mines in the area.
Replying to a question in the state legislative council, Mines Minister
Sitaram Singh said the survey had also been recommended by the
environmental committee.
Council chairman Jabir Hussain directed the government to get the BARC
report at the earliest.
http://www.antenna.nl/wise/uranium/umop.html
Issues at Jaduguda Uranium Mine, Bihar, India
(last updated 5 Sep 2000)
Contents:
Current Issues
Press Articles
Other Resources
Mine: Jaduguda Mine <uoasi.html> (also spelled Jadugoda, Jadugora)
Owner: Uranium Corporation of India, Ltd. (UCIL) <ucuci.html>
Current Issues
Supreme Court admits petition on Jaduguda uranium mine pollution
On Sep 4, 2000, the Indian Supreme Court admitted a petition seeking
direction to the Centre and the Uranium Corporation Limited (UCIL) to
take stringent measures at the Jaduguda Uranium Mines in Bihar in the
wake of alarming reports that villagers were affected by the radiation
from mines. (The Hindu, Sep 5, 2000)
Citizen group calls for health study and remedial action
During a press conference held on April 5, 2000, the Jharkhand's
Organisation Against Radiation (J.O.A.R) presented the following
demands to the Government of India (main points only):
A multi-diciplinary team comprising of Medical personal, Radiologist,
Ecologist, Sociologist, Chemist, Biologist etc from independent
institutions i.e. All India Institute of Medical Science AIIMS New
Delhi, should be constituted to look into the impact of the uranium
mining operations (low-level radiation) on the environmental, health,
safety and socio-economy of Jadugora area.
The import of radioactive waste/material and radio-medical waste into
Jadugora for dumping/storage or in the guise of recycling or further
extraction should be STOPPED IMMEDIATELY.
All the villages around the already existing tailing dams/ponds should
be immediately evacuated to a safer place until proper and permanent
rehabilitation is done.
The DAE, BARC and UCIL should set up a full fledged Medical Centre in
or around Jadugora with medical personnel qualified to treat low level
radiation related diseases, its function should be supervised by AIIMS.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board AERB, should be made autonomous from
the Department of Atomic Energy, according to International norms.
Supreme Court issues notice on Jaduguda uranium mine pollution
On Aug 30, 1999, the Indian Supreme Court issued notice to the Union
Government and three others on a public interest petition seeking a
direction to take immediate steps to insulate people living in the
vicinity of the Jaduguda <uoasi.html> uranium mine in Bihar from the
hazards of untreated effluents and pollution of uranium mining.
The other respondents to whom notices were issued were the Uranium
Corporation of India <ucuci.html>; the Atomic Energy Commission and the
Deputy Commissioner, Singhbum district, Bihar. (The Hindu, Indian
Express, Aug 31, 1999)
Press Articles
'Jaduguda operations safe'
<http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/04/09/stories/0209000g.htm>
<http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/04/09/stories/0209000g.htm>
(The Hindu, Apr 9, 2000)
The price for nuclear capabilities?
<http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/04/06/stories/0206000r.htm>
<http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/04/06/stories/0206000r.htm>
(The Hindu, Apr 6, 2000)
Living in the deadly shadow of uranium - India's huge uranium mining
complex threatens health of thousands of villagers
<http://www.thestar.com/back_issues/ED19991010/opinion/991010CNT01_CO-
INDIA10.html>
<http://www.thestar.com/back_issues/ED19991010/opinion/991010CNT01_CO-
INDIA10.html>(Toronto Star, October 10, 1999)
Thousands at risk of poisoning from 'India's Chernobyl'
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?
ac=000118613908976&rtmo=gZffnlbu&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/4/25/wind25.htm
l> <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?
ac=000118613908976&rtmo=gZffnlbu&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/4/25/wind25.htm
l>(Telegraph (UK), April 25, 1999)
Uranium mining in Jaduguda, Bihar, Living in Death's Shadow
<http://www.altindia.net/nukes/bihar.htm>
<http://www.altindia.net/nukes/bihar.htm>(SUNDAY Magazine, Calcutta,
April 4-10, 1999)
Radiation from uranium mines hits Bihar tribals
<http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan06/uran.htm>
<http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan06/uran.htm>(Deccan
Herald, Jan 6, 1999)
Uranium hits Jadugoda tribals; UCIL blamed <http://www.indian-
express.com/fe/daily/19981228/36255804.html> <http://www.indian-
express.com/fe/daily/19981228/36255804.html>(Indian Express, Bombay,
Dec. 28, 1998)
Angry villagers take on uranium corporation
<http://www.financialexpress.com/ie/daily/19980919/26251044.html>
<http://www.financialexpress.com/ie/daily/19980919/26251044.html>
(Indian Express, Bombay, Sept. 19, 1998)
Hunt for the yellow cake <http://www.indian-
express.com/ie/daily/19980604/15550734.html> <http://www.indian-
express.com/ie/daily/19980604/15550734.html>(Indian Express, Bombay,
June 4, 1998)
Other Resources
A report on the No-Nukes Asia Forum 1999 and Jaduguda Uranium Mine
<http://www.anawa.org.au/india/download.html>
<http://www.anawa.org.au/india/download.html>, by Scott Ludlam, March
2000
Buddha weeps in Jadugoda <ulite.html>, film by Shriprakash
compiled by:
WISE Uranium Project (home) <index.html>
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,2669,SAV-
0011110028,FF.html
INDIA NEEDS `MINISTRY OF SEX' TO TACKLE VIRUS, DOCTOR SAYS
News items on this page are compiled from Reuters, Associated Press and
Universal Press Syndicate.
November 10, 2000
A prominent Indian doctor has called for a "Ministry of Sex" to tackle
an alarming rise in AIDS and other sex-related health problems, The
Asian Age newspaper said Wednesday.
Dr. Prakash Kothari told a seminar in the city of Chandigarh that even
the most innovative budgetary planning soon could be useless if the
country continues to ignore the "looming reality" of an explosion in
cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
He said that, assuming spending of $385 per month on every person
afflicted by the disease, "there will simply be no resources available
to finance anything else in this country of ours."
According to the United Nations, India has 3.7 million people with
AIDS, the largest number in the world after South Africa.
The Asian Age said 34 million people were HIV-positive in India and 14
million had died of AIDS.
The newspaper quoted Kothari as saying that the government must treat
the AIDS crisis as a bigger enemy than Pakistan.
"And therefore we have no other option than to tackle it head on," he
said.
--
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