Ranchi: With India targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, up from about 9 GW currently, Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) is pursuing an ambitious plan to expand domestic uranium supplies and intensify outreach in Jharkhand’s uranium belt to address long-standing concerns over radiation-related health risks.CMD of UCIL, K Anand Rao, said the company plans to double uranium production by 2036 through the expansion of existing mines and development of new projects.Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region, where UCIL operates seven mines, will remain the company’s production hub. However, it is also pursuing greenfield projects in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.“We have a proposed Mosabani Uranium Recovery Plant in East Singhbhum, which will extract uranium from Hindustan Copper Ltd’s tailings. This will reduce mining costs and promote a circular economy model,” Rao said.UCIL currently supplies fuel supporting nearly 40% of India’s nuclear power generation. Rao said higher domestic uranium production would be crucial for the country’s long-term energy security and clean energy transition.Alongside its expansion plans, the Jadugora-headquartered public sector undertaking has stepped up public engagement in East Singhbhum’s mining areas, where concerns over radiation related illnesses have persisted for decades. Rao said UCIL was planning a fresh independent health impact study and conducting awareness campaigns in villages near its operations.Rejecting allegations linking uranium mining to health problems among locals, Rao said several scientific studies had found no evidence connecting UCIL’s operations with such ailments.“UCIL employees also live with their families in colonies near the mines, and no health issues have been reported among them in the past 60 years of our operations,” he said.Rao said Jharkhand’s uranium ore was of very low grade, with only 200-300 grams extracted from a tonne of ore. Radiation levels associated with mining and milling, he added, remained within prescribed safety limits.
