UCIL to Commission Health Impact Study in Jharkhand
UCIL is in discussions with institutions including Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to undertake the study. The institutions have expertise in radiation, public health and related scientific fields, according to K Ananda Rao, chairman and managing director of UCIL.
Rao said concerns that communities near the mines were experiencing cancer or skin diseases because of mining would be examined through the assessment. He referred to an earlier TISS study and other scientific research, which, he said, had not established a connection between uranium mining and disease among local communities.
UCIL currently operates eight uranium mines in India. Seven are located in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district, while the eighth is in Andhra Pradesh. The company aims to double uranium production by 2036, although it has not disclosed current or targeted production figures, citing strategic constraints.
India currently generates 8.78 GW of electricity using uranium, including 2.4 GW from domestically produced uranium. UCIL expects the planned greenfield mine at Rohil in Rajasthan, copper-waste recycling for uranium extraction at Mosabani in Jharkhand and expansions at existing mines to support production growth.
The company is marking 60 years since its establishment and has launched a new logo. Rao also said India had reached the criticality stage of a prototype fast breeder reactor using thorium, which is more abundant domestically. The development is expected to support the second phase of India’s nuclear programme and reduce dependence on scarce uranium resources, with the long-term goal of reducing uranium requirements for energy generation.