Overview
- The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly voted unanimously on Wednesday, Aug 26, 2026, to adopt a resolution formally opposing uranium extraction and any uranium ore‑processing facility in the state.
- State leaders grounded the resolution in the Sixth Schedule system of customary land ownership and the July 2019 Supreme Court decision that recognised private and community rights over sub‑soil minerals.
- Meghalaya contains major identified uranium deposits in areas such as Domiasiat, Wahkijn and Lostoin, and decades of local protests led by traditional institutions, the Khasi Students’ Union and activists like Spelity Lyngdoh Langrin shaped the state’s opposition.
- The resolution directs the state government to send the Assembly’s position to the Centre and urges the Department of Atomic Energy and UCIL not to pursue mining without free, prior and informed consent of affected communities and full respect for customary rights.
- With the Centre yet to respond, the move functions as a formal political and legal posture that could influence future negotiations, regulatory choices or court challenges and may deter new exploration or lease steps unless national authorities adjust their approach.