Tarapur atomic power plant: Provide water in 16 weeks, says Bombay high court

The Maharashtra government received flak from the Bombay high court on Thursday for its lackadaisical attitude towards the project-affected persons (PAPs) of Tarapur atomic power plant.

A division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice RV More directed the government to ensure that there is water supply, which is “a basic necessity in every household”, within 16 weeks.

The court has asked the government to provide water supply up to a common point within eight weeks and construct pipelines to make water available to individual households within eight weeks thereafter.

Justice Desai remarked: “Water is a basic necessity and the state government is duty bound to provide people with unlimited water supply in their houses. We are extremely distressed with the state government’s attitude towards the issue.”

Several villagers had approached the high court claiming that the government and the Nuclear Power Corporation Ltd (NPCL) which was handed over the project, has failed to fulfill the promises made during rehabilitation.

Additional government pleader Nit in Desponded said that the government would be responsible for bearing the expenses in providing water till the common point. Beyond that, it would be the responsibility of NPCL to construct the pipelines. Counsel for NPCL, Rajeev Kumar said that over Rs65 lakh has been already given to the state government for this purpose.