Kovvada nuke plant: Site selected based on 2001 census

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 31, 2012:  While the locals opposing the proposed Kovvada Nuclear Park (KNP ) around 120 kms from here, have just resumed their stir, a close look at the site selection process to set up the nuclear power plant itself raises many a hackles.

As per the reply given by NPCIL to an RTI query which was accessed by Deccan Chronicle shows that Site Selection Committee (SSC) constituted by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) had just merely accepted the state government’s recommendation of site in Kovvada on the ground that it was near the coast without looking for any other alternative site.

The SSC initially recommended Nagarjunasagar site for locating the plant. However, due to proximity of Tiger sanctuary, an alternative site at Kovvada was proposed by the state government in 1994 and it was selected by the SSC in 2003. In 2007, the SSC submitted a report recommending Kovvada.

The government has just a month ago issued GOs related to the land acquisition for KNP with capacity of 9,540 mw.

Initially, Centre planned to set up a nuclear plant in Kovvada in Srikakulam district that can generate 6,000 mw with six reactors. Recently, DAE has accepted the proposal of the NPCIL to increase capacity from 6,000 mw to 9,540 mw.

According to DAE’s earlier clearances, the nuclear park’s capacity was 6,000 mw, since the DAE had, in principle, allowed the capacity of each reactor to produce above 1,000 mw.

All necessary studies like marine survey, weather conditions in pre and post monsoon and seismic studies have already been carried out for the nuclear park, to be operationalised with US-based GE Westings technological support for the reactors. Though the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), report for KNP by NPCIL is to be submitted by August to go for public hearing in December this year, it is delayed in the wake of new guidelines related to the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

“Evidently, the SSC had not considered alternative sites nor it had laid down any criteria for selecting a site for the purpose. The SSC had merely accepted the state government’s recommendation on the gro-und that it was a site near the coast, without examining the technical and environmental implications,” said former Union energy secretary E.A.S. Sarma, while speaking to this correspondent. The SSC report of 2007 recommending Kovvada that was accessed through the RTI Act reply, clearly mentioned that the population study was based on the 2001 census. For instance the report said that there are no population centres having a population of more than one lakh within 30 kms radial distance and Srikakulam with a population of about 98,448 is at a radial distance of about 28 kms. The report discussed only about the rehabilitation aspect ignoring safety. However, as per the latest 2011 census, Srikakulam town had a population of 146,988.

“There are major urban agglomerations in Srikakulam town within the 30 km range and a Fukushi-ma-like disaster could end-anger the lives of a large number of people, posing a formidable challenge in terms of emergency preparedness,” Mr Sarma said.