SHILLONG: The government will soon notify rules for incorporation in the existing Meghalaya Forest Regulation Act 1973 to ban felling of trees for charcoal manufacturing, especially in West Khasi Hills, which is one of the major causes of depletion of the State forest cover.

SHILLONG: With a hope to break the ice over uranium mining issue in Meghalaya, the Centre is sending its emissaries one after another to the State.

The latest one, after the recent visit of Union Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrashekar and Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar, is Principal Advisor to Department of Atomic Energy VP Raja.

Mr Raja will arrive in Shillong on September 22 to discuss with the State government, political parties and prominent NGOs the proposed Kylleng-Pyndeng-Sohiong uranium mining project in West Khasi Hills.

SHILLONG: In an effort to woo the anti-uranium mining groups in Meghalaya, especially after the Central delegation's recent failure to convince the NGOs and political parties for the UCIL project, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 800 crore for development of infrastructure around the mining sites in West Khasi Hills.

According to official sources on Tuesday, the decision to sanction the funds was taken in a meeting between Union Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar, State Government officials and representatives from UCIL and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in New Delhi on Monday.

SHILLONG, Aug 26: The Union Government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 800 crore for infrastructural development of uranium mining sites in the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The decision was taken after a meeting in New Delhi held on Monday between the Union Cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar with all the Union Government secretaries, Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee and the UCIL and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) officials. The meeting, chaired by Chandrasekhar felt that speedy development in the areas would annihilate apprehensions about mining in those areas.

SHILLONG: Ahead of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Anil Kakodkar's visit to the State, the anti-nuclear groups have asserted that they will not bow down to the government pressure on the contentious issue of Uranium mining in the state.

Dr Kakodkar, who is leading a high-level delegation to Meghalaya on August 22, will hold discussions with Chief Minister Donkupar Roy, also the Chairman of the All-Party Committee on Uranium Mining, and other senior government officials.

SHILLONG: Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Anil Kakodkar is likely to arrive in the State on August 21 to discuss the proposed uranium mining project at Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills with the State Government.

According to sources, Dr Kakodkar is expected to hold discussion with Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy and other top officials on the proposed project. He will be accompanied by senior officials of the Union Atomic Energy Department including its Joint Secretary S Mendiratta.

SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister Hoping Stone Lyngdoh has stuck to his guns on the uranium issue, saying he was even opposed to the idea of setting up the All-Party Committee on Uranium Mining by the MPA Government.

Mr Lyngdoh on Monday said he still held the view that "no expert in the world is able to help protect people from radiation of uranium."

Shillong: The Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA) has reiterated its opposition to the proposed mining of uranium by the UCIL in the State. In a letter to Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy here on Friday, LYWA president BS Lyngdoh stated that nearly 90 per cent of the people in the area in West Khasi Hills are totally against the proposed uranium mining project at Phodkylleng-Pyndensohiong in West Khasi Hills district.

SHILLONG: The All-Party Committee on Uranium Mining has recommended formation of three expert groups to study health hazards and radiation effects before making a final recommendation to the State Government on the sensitive issue.

The all-party panel, which met here for the first time on Friday, asked the government to constitute two groups of experts to study the health and environmental impacts of uranium mining in and around Mawthabah, West Khasi Hills.

Famine caused by bamboo flowering is an indirect phenomenon that happens in 30 to 40 years depending on the species of the bamboo. Senior Congress legislator and NEHU Head of Department of Botany Dr RC Laloo told The Sentinel that bamboo flowering does not directly lead to famine but it occurs after rats have shortage of food. He said when rats feed on the high-protein seeds of bamboo, flowers start to reproduce while their population doubles leading to shortage of seeds. Therefore, the rats are left with no option but to attack the paddy fields, Dr Laloo said.