Nuclear Power Corp transfers engineers from Kudankulam
January 9th, 2012 - 12:22 pm ICT by IANS
Chennai, Jan 9 (IANS) In order to put into productive use its engineers at the stalled Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP), the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has started transferring them to other upcoming projects in India, an official Monday.
“It has been three months since the work at the 2,000 MW power project came to a standstill. So some engineers have been transferred to the upcoming power projects at Kakrapar (Gujarat) and Rajasthan,” a senior NPCIL official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
NPCIL is building two 700 MW atomic power plants in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
He said around 12 officials belonging to mechanical, civil and fuel disciplines have been transferred from KNPP.
India’s nuclear power plant operator NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW atomic power reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli, around 650 km from Chennai, at an outlay of Rs.13,171 crore.
The first unit was slated to be commissioned in December. However, villagers, citing fears for their lives and safety, brought all the project-related activities to a standstill.
“The district administration monitors the number of people who enter the project site. They do not allow more than 100 officials in a day. We are sending people on rotation so that they do not lose their morale,” the NPCIL official said.
He said the condition of the coolant water in the first reactor is being monitored and water chemistry maintained.
“The coolant water is being circulated so that the equipments do not rust,” he added.
NPCIL has around 850 employees at KNPP. Queried about the 120 Russian engineers working at the KNPP, he said: “Some have gone on year-end vacation and they are expected back.”
The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which is spearheading the protest against the project, Monday wrote to the three women chief ministers in India - J. Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu, Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh and Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.
It asked them “to take steps to rescind all the nuclear agreements that the central government has signed with the US, Russia, France and many countries around the world”.
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- Tamil nadu should act against Kudankulam peotesters: Minister - Dec 17, 2011
- Kudankulam: First reactor might miss March deadline - Nov 17, 2011
- Nuclear Corp now turns to catchy jingles to push Kudankalam - Nov 25, 2011
- Change of guard at Kudankulam N-plant - Apr 30, 2012
- Kudankulam inspections on after removal of dummy fuel - Jun 04, 2012
- Kudankulam reactor may get one year operational licence - Sep 08, 2012
- Plans to circulate coolant in Kudankulam reactor - Nov 19, 2011
- Kudankulam reactor faces corrosion risk - Nov 09, 2011
- Crucial NPCIL-atomic energy regulator meet Aug 3 - Jul 28, 2012
- Major pre-fuel loading exercise over at Kudankulam - Sep 12, 2012
- Kudankulam activists seek answers on nuclear power project - Aug 06, 2012
- Kudankulam officials to attend power sector meeting Thursday - Mar 22, 2012
- Jayalalithaa demands 1,000 MW power from Kudankulam unit - Aug 19, 2012
Tags: atomic power plants, banerjee, chief ministers, coolant water, district administration, india ltd, j jayalalithaa, Mayawati, npcil, nuclear power corporation, nuclear power plant, nuclear power project, power plant operator, power projects, power reactors, russian engineers, standstill, tamil nadu, tirunelveli, water chemistry