JOIN USThe signing of nuclear pact between India and France during the visit of French President Sarkozy to build a series of nuclear power plants in Jaitapur in Ratagiri disrict of Maharashtra is hailed as the highlight of the visit. The French private company Areva will build these plants in collaboration with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). It is proposed that these plants will start generating power by 2014.
The increased pressure to produce clean and green power to meet the growing demand has forced many countries to revisit nuclear power. France is one of those rare countries that generate more than half of its power requirement from nuclear source. With this experience it is poised to be the leader in exporting the nuclear technology to developing countries like India and China with its new Evolutionary Power Reactors (EPRs). It is claimed to be a leak-proof design with four independent cooling systems for safety to ward off a situation like that of Chernobyl.
The ground for preparing the nuclear park at Jaitapur was being prepared long back, with NPCIL identifying the area on the west coast. The final permission by ministry of environment and forests was given by Jairam Ramesh just days ahead of the visit of French President. Though he has put 35 stringent conditions to be fulfilled by NPCIL before proceeding to build the plant, it is doubtful if they would ever be met on the ground.
The Indian government and the media is elated with the deal assuring continues supply of uranium, the nuclear fuel for next 25 years. But the common people do not know that this comes at a high price. The projected costs of six power plants is estimated at Rs 60,000 crore. The cost might go up due to the additional costs involved in incorporating the safety features.
It is going to be the costliest power at Rs nine per unit. The French company Areva, that is going to build the plant in Jaitapur is not doing it for charity. It is a private company which wants to earn profits and eager to sell its yet unestablished EPR technology. India is the testing ground, being a scapegoat, accepting it under the tall claims of ‘energy independence.’ The hidden costs of maintaining a series of plants after the life term of 60 years is not even calculated, let alone the dangers it will pose for coming generations.
France and India are signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), assuring to protect the biodiversity. In total violation of this international treaty, the heads of these countries have signed the deal to build the nuclear power plants in the Western Ghats, which is one of the biodiversity hot spots in the world. What is more tragic is that the deal is signed during the International Year of Biodiversity. It shows a total disregard by both the countries in adhering to CBD.
Sarkozy may not have been informed about the struggle of local people in Ratnagiri against the nuclear park. Being the champion of democracy and human rights, he should be aware that the land acquisition and construction of the nuclear power plant at Jaitapur is being done in total violation of democratic values and human rights.
Kaiga nuclear power plant built during 1980s on the banks of Kali River in midst of Western Ghats in Karnataka has a similar history. The local people opposed the project from the beginning and forced the nuclear power establishment to hold a public debate on the relevance of nuclear power in India in Bangalore. The nuclear establishment failed miserably, unable to convince the civil society about the relevance of nuclear power and its long term adverse impacts.
The local zilla panchayt and all the panchayats in Uttara Kannada district passed unanimous resolutions against the setting up of Kaiga nuclear power plant. Ignoring this dissent, the power plant was built. At present the work is compete on the fourth plant, and there are plans to build twelve nuclear power plants, making another ‘nuclear park’ in the fragile biodiversity hotspot.
The Jaitapur project is called not just nuclear power plant but a ‘nuclear park.’ Obviously, it is because they are aiming at building several nuclear plants at this site to generate 10,000 mw of power. At the moment, India with its 19 nuclear power plants is just about able to produce 4000 mw of power. In contrast to this, the proposed park will double the production of nuclear energy in next four years. This grandiose project is not the park, but the shark that will lead to the decimation of the rare biodiversity and pose a threat to the people living in the Western Ghats.