The Uranium
Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) is planning to resume work at its Jaduguda
mines early next year.
In a meeting held on December 27, the UCIL board passed
a resolution for "taking the matter of resumption at the highest levels
early next year".
"UCIL expects to resolve all pending issues,
related to resumption of mining at Jaduguda, by the end of this year,"
UCIL spokesperson Stanley Hembrem said, adding that all hopes are pinned on
2017.
Mining work at Jaduguda has been under suspension since September 2014,
following directives from the Union mines ministry that called for halting
mining work that was being carried under deemed extension.
The central PSU has
since been pursuing the state forest and environment department to get the
green signal to resume work.
Hembrem
further confirmed that documents pertaining to mining resumption are presently
in the possession of the central agencies, after the state forest department
completed the work on its part.
Jaduguda mine
situated about 50km from the district headquarters, which has huge deposits of
uranium, is nearly 3,000 feet deep and produced 800 tonnes of ore before its
closure.
"It is
true that Jaduguda has a rich deposit of ore but we need to make sure we make
up for the production loss," Hembrem said.
The mines located in the vicinity of UCIL are
Turamdih, Bhatin, Narwa, Musabani, Ichra, Bandurang, Bagjata and Mohuldih (the
only mine located in adjoining Seraikela).
Source: Times of India