Land Acquisition for Kovvada NPP is Illegal

 

 

The AP State Government, based on "In Principle" approval accorded by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Govt of India for KNPP Project Site, issued GO. Ms. No.42 dated 1 st November 2012  notifying 5 villages in Ranasthalam Mandal of Srikakulam district, covering an area of 1916 acres having 1983 households with total population of 7960, as  the "Project Affected Zone". This was done for the purpose of acquiring the land as per Land Acquisition Act 1894 under the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy of 2007, for the proposed Kovvada Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

Statutory Site Clearance not obtained from AERB

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), constituted under Atomic Energy Act, has overall responsibility for Siting, Design, Construction, Commissioning, Operation and Decommissioning of the Nuclear Facility. AERB Safety Guide issued in March 2007 for Consenting Process for Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and Research Reactors (RRs), details important stages of obtaining consent in respect of NPPs & RRs and specifies the relevant information to be submitted by the applicant at each stage for being reviewed and assessed, in order to evaluate the safety implications of the activity for which the consent is being sought.

 The Assessment and Consenting Process starts with Siting of the Plant, to determine whether the chosen site is suitable for the proposed type and capacity of the plant from environmental & safety considerations. The applicant NPCIL is required to furnish the Site Evaluation Report (SER) highlighting the site related aspects to AERB.  The findings and recommendations of the Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) are reviewed by the Advisory Committee for Project Safety Review ( ACPSR), which makes recommendations to AERB. The findings and recommendations of ACPSR are considered by AERB for grant of consent for locating the project at the proposed Site.  

The purpose of site evaluation for Nuclear Installation in terms of nuclear safety is to protect the environment and the public from the radiological consequence of radioactive releases due to accidents, etc.  This will enable the public to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the likely environmental impact of the project.

DAE In-Principle Approval has no Sanctity

 The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), constituted the "Site Selection Committee" ( SSC) chaired by the Managing Director, NPCIL, for identifying possible sites for Nuclear Power Plants. The DAE based on the recommendation of SSC, accorded "In Principle" approval, by letter dated October 08, 2009, for setting up Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with 6X1000MWE MWe each imported LWRs at the Kovvada Site.  The "In-Principle' approval accorded by DAE for Kovvada NPP, based on the report of SSC, chaired by MD NPCIL having conflict of interest is questionable and  has no sanctity.

 The AERB, by its letter dated 2 nd January 2013 confirmed that "No application from NPCIL has been received at AERB with regard to siting of Nuclear Power Plant at Kovvada of Ranasthalam Mandal in Srikakulam district, AP State"

Therefore, the In-Principle approval accorded by DAE for the project site, without following the process laid down for the "Site Selection' in AERB Safety Guide and without clarity regarding suitability of the chosen site for the proposed type and capacity ( 6X1000 MWe or 6X1500 MWe) of the Plant from environmental and safety considerations, is arbitrary and unjustified and it gravely injures public interest.

The entire population depending on Fishing/Agriculture/ Agriculture Labour in the proposed project site will be deprived of their livelihood and the rich agricultural land prospering with horticulture crops, by misadventure of acquiring the land without proper evaluation and assessment by the designated statutory agencies.

 Hence, the G.O.Ms.No. No.42 dated 01-11-2012 for land acquisition at Kovvada deserves to be quashed with a clear direction to all the concerned Departments to follow the procedures prescribed by law, after going through due process for the site selection and approval.

__________________________________________________________