What Centre Said About The Groundwater Problems In Andhra Pradesh's Uranium Rich Sites
The Indian government has confirmed the presence of significant uranium deposits in Andhra Pradesh, with an estimated 2,54,020 tonnes of in-situ uranium oxide spread across two locations—the Tummalapalle Group of deposits in YSR (Kadapa) district and the Koppunuru deposit in Palnadu (Guntur) district.
This information was revealed minsiter Dr Jitendra Singh in response to a Lok Sabha query by Y. S. Avinash Reddy, where the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) provided details on the state’s uranium resources and addressed concerns about groundwater contamination near the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) project in Tummalapalle.
According to the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Tummalapalle alone holds 2,51,259 tonnes of uranium oxide, making it one of the largest uranium reserves in the country. Meanwhile, the Koppunuru deposit contains 2,761 tonnes.
Concerns regarding potential groundwater contamination around the UCIL mining project in Tummalapalle prompted extensive scientific investigations by multiple agencies, including the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), IIT Chennai, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and MECON. The studies aimed to determine whether mining activities had contributed to rising uranium levels in local water sources.
The investigations concluded that no dissolved uranium plume was emanating from the tailings pond of the UCIL project, ruling out the mining operations as the cause of groundwater contamination. Instead, the research indicated that high uranium concentrations in the groundwater were primarily due to naturally occurring uranium deposits in the area, leading to poor water quality.
The government has reiterated that scientific assessments have found no direct link between UCIL’s mining activities and groundwater contamination in Tummalapalle. However, it remains to be seen whether further environmental safeguards or alternative measures will be introduced to address public concerns.
