Evaluation of effluent management practices and its environmental impact around Jaduguda after thirty years of UCIL operations

Processing of uranium ore leaves behind a large volume of low specific activity waste usually called tailings, which is waste product of the ore processed by the industry after the mineral values have been recovered. As per practice, fine fractions of solid waste and liquid are impounded in the form of slimes containing most of the radioactivity associated with the ore. After settling of solids contained in the slimes, liquid effluent is released to the public domain after proper treatment. Effects of such releases and its likely impact on the environment forms the subject matter of this paper. Behaviour of the critical radionuclide 226Ra at the downstream of Gara and Suvernrekha river have been discussed. Also behavior of anions present in the treated effluent is pointed out. (author)