The 9,900mw project to be set up in collaboration with a French firm in Maharashtra today received clearance from environment ministry which prescribed 35 conditions and safeguards.
The 9,900mw nuclear power project at Jaitapur in coastal Konkan received the green signal from Union minister for environment Jairam Ramesh on Sunday. It is the second mega project after the Navi Mumbai airport project to get environment clearance after chief minister Prithviraj Chavan took over.
The clearance for the project, one of the biggest in the country and the first one to be off the block after the Indo-US nuke deal was inked, comes with 35 riders, all related to the preservation of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.
While Chavan described it as a historic feat as the project would attract massive investments up to Rs1 lakh crore once it becomes operational in phases from 2018, the actual challenge for him starts now. The most daunting task is to complete the acquisition of 938 hectares of land. The local villagers are fighting tooth and nail the state’s bid to acquire land. The chief minister has promised a comprehensive package to the 2,033 project-affected families.
Highly-placed sources indicated that the project was cleared hurriedly because of pressure from the prime minister’s office.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to visit India in December. AREVA, a French company, is the joint developer of the nuclear complex along with the state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC). The company will provide technical expertise.
However, Ramesh asserted that he took 80 days to clear the project after deliberating on all environmental aspects. “I believe nuclear power projects can be environment-friendly provided we stick to adequate safety norms. I believe we have to set a balance between development and environment,” he said.
The project, on completion, is expected to address the state’s power crunch significantly. The state is short of 4,500 MW at present.
While reckoning that the clearance is the first big step forward, the chief minister said, “A group of ministers is going to hold deliberations on how to negate the public anger against the project. To begin with, we expect the NPCIL to offer the best compensation to the people. Every individual affected would be given employment or funds to set up independent business.”
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