Uranium mining in Meghalaya, a small state in northeast India, may start by the middle of this year, Chief Minister D D Lapang said Friday, according to PTI.
"We are going ahead with the mining activity ... We are hopeful that uranium mining can be started in the coming six months for which certain issues will have to be resolved," he said.
Uranium Corporation of India has designated the Domiasiat area for mining and the pre-project activities have already started, he said.
Certain NGOs are opposing the project due to perceived health hazards, the agency reported.
Meghalaya has the third largest uranium reserves after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.
It accounts for 16% of India's uranium reserves, with deposits estimated around 9,500 tons and 4,000 tons at Domiasiat and Wakhyn.
Indian officials said last year most of the country's nuclear power plants were running at 50% capacity due to a shortage of uranium.
KOLKATA, January 8 (RIA Novosti)
