The Curse of Jadugora: Uranium’s Hidden Fallout
 

Jaduguda, a small hamlet in Jharkhand, is home to India’s first uranium mines—once celebrated as the backbone of the nation’s nuclear programme, especially amid its rivalry with Pakistan. But behind this strategic triumph lies a tragic local story.

Since 1967, radioactive waste from the mines has leaked into groundwater, poisoning villages around the tailing ponds. The consequences are devastating: children born with deformities, widespread cancer, high miscarriage rates, and barren fields that can no longer sustain crops.

Through this project, I document the human and environmental toll of India’s nuclear ambitions—revealing how the same uranium that bolstered national security left generations of Jadugora’s people to pay the ultimate price.