'Commissioning of Kudankulam nuclear power plant might take some weeks'

Commissioning of Kudankulam nuclear power plant, on which work has resumed after the Tamil Nadu government cleared the decks for it, might take some weeks, a top project official said here on Tuesday.

"Commissioning of the plant may take some weeks. But regarding generation of power RPT regarding generation of power, only regulatory authority should decide RPT decide," KNPP Site Director M Kasinath Balaji told reporters RPT reporters.

He said experts in other nuclear plants across the country had been requested to come to KNPP to help in early commissioning of the first unit.

He said the hot run of the first unit has been completed and work at the second unit is over,which is in good condition due to regular maintenance even during the seven month long gap when workers managed to carry out repairs.

An expert committee had been formed for the third and the fourth units, he said.

Balaji said 200 reports had been submitted to Atomic Energy regulatory bodies, but it was not yet clear when clearance would be received.

On fears among locals about the safety of the Plant,he said both the central and the state expert committees had inspected it and declared it safe. "KNPP officials are also willing to take local people around the plant and brief them about the safety.

The cost of the unit work, originally pegged at Rs13,170 crore had escalated by Rs1,700 crore and the centre had sanctioned the additional cost, he said.