Bihar to have a nuclear power plant soon

PATNA: It's time for Bihar to beam with pride as the power-starved state will soon see a 2,000-Megawatt nuclear power plant coming up. The Union Energy Ministry and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has approved the state government's demand for setting up a nuclear power plant in Bihar.

The site for the plant is also finalised by experts of NPCIL, who have agreed to the state government's choice of Rajauli in Nawada as the project area. The only hitch is the availability of proportionate amount of water in Phulwaria reservoir for the proposed 4x500 MW nuclear power plant. Bihar minister for water resources Ramashray Prasad Singh, said there will not be any shortage of water for the proposed plant.

Singh has asked his counterpart in the Energy department to convey the same to NPCIL. The water resources department is making arrangements to meet the requirement by setting up two additional reservoirs in Dharnajay and Kundli rivers, he said.

In fact, it was President APJ Abdul Kalam who first suggested the idea of a nuclear power plant in Bihar during his visit to the state in February this year. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was quick to take the issue up with the Union Power ministry and hence the quick approval of the project.