Shillong, Oct 23 : The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has opposed a recent Central government directive that removes the requirement for public consultations before uranium mining projects can begin in tribal areas, calling it a direct threat to indigenous rights and environmental safeguards.

During a council session here on Wednesday night, Chief Executive Member (CEM) Winston Tony Lyngdoh introduced and passed a resolution rejecting a September memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The memorandum exempts mining projects involving atomic minerals -- such as uranium -- from mandatory public hearings, under amendments made to the Mines and Minerals Act, 2023.

The move is intended to expedite approvals for what the Centre terms 'critical and strategic' minerals.

Lyngdoh warned that the exemption could have far-reaching consequences for tribal communities in Meghalaya. He said the directive undermines long-standing traditional governance systems by allowing mining in tribal territories without the consent of local populations.

'Such policies disregard community voices and put both the environment and public health at risk,' Lyngdoh told the House.

The resolution urged the Central government to exclude areas under the KHADC's jurisdiction from the memorandum's purview.

Lyngdoh said that the council had already written to the MoEFCC secretary seeking such an exemption, but had not received any formal response so far.

Opposition leader Titosstarwell Chyne, however, said the resolution fell short of expectations. He argued that limiting the exemption request to Khasi Hills alone would tacitly endorse uranium mining in other tribal regions such as the Jaintia and Garo Hills.

Chyne demanded that the KHADC call for the complete withdrawal of the memorandum across all tribal territories in Meghalaya.

He further cautioned that removing the public hearing process would effectively silence indigenous voices and weaken community oversight of mining decisions that could irreversibly impact their ancestral lands.

Chyne reminded the council that earlier attempts by the Centre to initiate uranium mining in the state had met with widespread protests, reflecting deep-rooted public opposition to such projects due to their environmental and social implications.

/IANS