Thaindian News

Kolkata, July 16 (IANS) A nuclear power plant is to come up in Haripur in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district, despite some people being against the project, said Srikumar Banerjee, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Friday.
“Haripur is not only the place where resistance was faced to set up a nuclear power plant but such opposition was also being faced in other parts of country like Maharashtra. Haripur is one of the five coastal sites selected by the centre for setting up a Nuclear Energy Park,” said Banerjee.

“We have not been given any deadline from the central government for the project. Land acquisition process will start in 18 months after environmental impact assessment process and geo- technical survey of the land gets completed,” said Banerjee speaking to media persons after delivering the 5th Raja Rammna Lecture at Variable Electron and Cyclotron Centre Kolkata.

Banerjee said they are expecting that construction work for the plant will start after two years and it will take another six years to start operation.

The Department of Atomic Energy has earmarked 650 hectares at Haripur in East Midnapore where generation capacity would be 10,000Mg Wt.

The chairman of Atomic Energy Commission said attempts are being made by the commission to explain to people about the nuclear power plant and people are being taken to other power plants to see for themselves that such an initiative is not hazardous.

At Haripur various groups like the National Fishworkers Forum and a section of the Trinamool Congress leadership have opposed setting up of a nuclear power plant.

Talking about the nuclear energy programme of the government, Banerjee said, “The country will be able to generate about 40,000 MGWT of nuclear energy using both indigenous and nuclear fuel by 2020.”

Earlier in the day, Banerjee met with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at state secretariat.