Hyderabad, November 09: Establishment of a nuclear power station in the State seems to remain a dream as the preparatory work on the project is going at a snail’s pace.
Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) and the AP Power Generation Corporation (APGenco) for establishing a nuclear power plant has already been delayed by 10 months and its possibility looks remote. Though the two organisations are engaged in exchanging preliminary information, no substantial work on the ground has commenced so far.
A nuclear power station had been proposed to be set up at Nagarjunasagar three decades ago and the plan was shelved in the face of a lot of opposition from environmentalists and local leaders. There was another proposal in 2007 made by the Union Government on setting up a nuclear plant in Srikakulam district and it also met the same fate.
The then chief minister, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, then came forward and volunteered to facilitate setting up of a plant in his native Kadapa district and sent proposals to this effect to the Central Government.
Since there are vast reserves of uranium in the Tummalapally area of Pulivendula Assembly constituency in the district, it was thought that a nuclear power plant there would be ideal.
Nuclear Power Corporation officials visited the site and made some cursory inspection of its vicinities. They handed over a voluminous questionnaire to its partner, APGenco, and sought answers.
The Genco, in turn, entrusted the job to a private consultant asking it to prepare a detailed report with answers within few months. According to an official of Genco, the consultancy firm is likely to submit its report by the end of December this year.
The NPC wanted to know the nature of the soil, irrigation projects around the site, forest area and myriad other details in its questionnaire. The report has to be prepared in consultation with various departments of the State Government.
Unless the report is submitted, the NPC might not come for another detailed and serious survey of the site and decide whether the site is suitable for setting up a nuclear plant.
The plant is estimated to cost Rs 20,000 crore with the NPC and APGenco sharing 51 and 49 percent respectively.
It is supposed to produce about 2,000 mw power and the production cost ranging between Rs 9 and 10 per each mega watt of power.
Former chief minister Rajasekhara Reddy was keen on the project and pressed the Genco and NPC to speed up the work during his second stint. On a visit to Delhi in July-August he made a strong pitch for the project. But nothing has been heard from the Centre since then. The project was not even listed on the agenda of the energy department when its performance was reviewed by the chief minister recently.
Setting up of a nuclear power plant is a mammoth task as it needs precise planning and every step has to be taken with utmost care. The construction may take six to seven years at a modest estimate. Unless the State Government acts now the dream of having a nuclear power plant in the State may not be realised till another decade.
–Agencies