LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, Feb. 4: Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav has assured that the Centre would conduct a thorough inquiry to assess the ill impact of radiation on the population of Jadugora in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
The reply of the minister came in the wake of a question raised by BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Deepak Prakash during the budget session of the Parliament.
On Thursday, Prakash had sought the attention of the central government and also asked about steps taken, so far, to protect people from the health hazard caused by uranium radiation.
Jadugora situated at Potka block of East Singhbhum district has one of the biggest uranium mines in the country which is operational since 1967. But nobody cares about the sufferings of this small town that fuels the nuclear dream of the country.
Prakash said that in the past 15 years, in Jadugora as many as 200 babies took birth with physical disabilities. Among pregnant women, 20 percent of them suffered a miscarriage at least once whereas 10 percent of women have faced the trauma of miscarriage four to five times. He said babies died in the womb.
He added that the cases of physical and mental disabilities are very high due to atomic radiation. The MP said that groundwater has become highly polluted and steps needed to be taken on an urgent basis to save the life of people.
