Genetic Damage in Jadugora, India

The town of Jadugora, India, supplies most of the country's uranium needs. There, the ore is mined, refined into yellow cake, and sent to the nuclear fuel complex in Hyderbad. There, the tallow cake is converted into uranium oxide, processed into nuclear fuel, and sent to one of India's two dozen nuclear reactors. Uranium is at the center of India's energy ambitions. Coal reserves are limited and gas and hydro are considered unreliable. If the monsoon season is weak, hydro- power output drops and energy experts say nuclear power is cheaper then coal. Exposure to uranium and the difficulty of getting it without bringing up two dozen other radioactive materials that are far more dangerous than uranium, have taken their toll on the people of Jadugora. Many children cannot walk, or hold anything. They can't even feed themselves, bathe or use the toilet. Children with birth deformities live on every street in the town. There are many young women who have had miscarriages and men and women who have died from cancer. Long- term exposure to radiation can cause genetic damage so that future generations can suffer the effects. This shows conclusively that as long as the needs of capitalism, i.e., profits, are satisfied, people's well- being does not matter. John Ayers.