Despite opposition, site to be fenced

The 938 hectares of land that will house the six imported light water reactors for the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) in Ratnagiri, will soon have a boundary wall, reports Snehal Rebello.

The 938 hectares of land that will house the six imported light water reactors for the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) in Ratnagiri, will soon have a boundary wall.

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In about 10 days, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking that builds and operates power plants across the country, will start issuing tenders for a protection and security wall.

“We plan to start work on the land. Our priority is to construct the wall,” said C.B. Jain, project manager of Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant. “This will be followed by inviting tenders to build the township and finally infrastructure for the plant.”

After four months of the land acquisition process, the state government on January 22 completed the formality of acquiring the land for the proposed project despite opposition from local villagers.

The government handed over the requisite land to NPCIL.

The reactors poised to generate 10,000 megawatts of power, will stand on 700 hectares in Madban, the remaining 238 hectares in four other villages will be used to build utilities for the staff employed in the plant.

The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute is likely to release the final draft of the environment impact assessment report in the next 15 days.

The NPCIL will then submit an application to conduct a public hearing to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.

“The board will decide the date for the hearing,” said Jain.

The JNPP is the first nuclear power plant planned after France became the first country to sign an agreement on

civil nuclear cooperation with India after the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group lifted international restrictions in September 2008.