JAITAPUR NUCLEAR POWER PROJECT:

Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is a new proposed 9900 MW power project of Nuclear Power Corporation
of India (NPCIL) at Madban village of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. It will be the largest nuclear
power generating station in the world by net electrical power rating once completed.

On December 6, 2010 agreement was signed for the construction of first set of two third-generation
European Pressurized Reactors/Evolutionary Power Reactors (EPR) and the supply of nuclear fuel for 25
years in the presence of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

French nuclear engineering firm Areva S.A. and Indian state-owned nuclear operator Nuclear Power
Corporation of India signed this multi billion valued agreement of about $9.3 billion. This is a general
framework agreement along with agreement on 'Protection of Confidentiality of Technical Data and
Information Relating to Nuclear Power Corporation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy' was also
signed. The general framework agreement is a list of the scope of work, terms and conditions of plant life,
guarantees and warrantees, guaranteed plant load factor. This agreement is quite important since life of
the reactors is anticipated at 60 years. This general framework agreement will also include financial
aspect of the project including the terms and conditions of funding, debt funding. Etc.

The cost of electricity from this power plant will be below 4 (US$0.09) per Kilowatt hour.

It is one of several nuclear power projects being undertaken in a thin strip of coast of Raigad, Ratnagiri
and Sindhudurg districts. The total power generating capacity proposed on a narrow strip of coastal land
50 kilometres (31 mi) to 90 kilometres (56 mi) km wide and 200 kilometres (120 mi) long is around
33,000 MW. The prospect of nuclear power generation in India received a boost after the Indo US
Civilian Nuclear Agreement became operational in October 2008. India has also signed similar
agreements with France and Russia.

Geography

The proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is located at . It has an average elevation of 90 feet (27 m).
This project will spread over 968 hectares (3.74 sq mi; 9.68 km2) of land. Jaitapur is on the Arabian Sea
coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan
in Western Ghats. In 2006, India applied to the UNESCO MAB for the Western Ghats to be listed as a
protected World Heritage Site. The Sahyadri Mountain range forms the eastern boundary of the Konkan,
and the Arabian Sea marks the western boundary. Jaitapur was one of the important ports in ancient and
early medieval times.

Reactors

It is proposed to construct 6 European Pressurized Reactors designed and developed by Areva of France,
each of 1650 megawatts, thus totaling 9900 megawatts. These are the third generation pressurized water
reactors (PWR).

Estimated cost of this project is around 100,000 crore (US$22.2 billion). This type of reactor is not
currently operational anywhere in the world. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission had
expressed concerns about the safety of the computer system in this reactor, but Finland has ordered one
such reactor nonetheless. The Finnish Olkiluoto 3 plant is currently under construction, but has
experienced severe delays in construction. Moreover, China has signed the agreement with Areva for
three such reactors. Also, all hurdles to the Jaitapur project were cleared when a memorandum of
understanding was signed between the Indian and French governments and an agreement between Areva,
a French state run company, and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India during French President
Nicholas Sarkozy's visit to India during December 2010.[20]

Funding

A consortium of French financial institutions will finance this project as a loan. Both French and Indian
government will give sovereign guarantee for this loan. The extent of guarantee will depend on what
portion of the cost the French credit will cover. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) will govern the interest rates and other terms of agreement. Interest rates and other
terms are under discussion.

Controversy and hurdle

Hurdle

According to Areva lack of clarity on The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 passed in Indian
Parliament in August 2010 is a hurdle in finalizing deal. This Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill
2010 has a clause deals with the legal binding of the culpable groups in case of a nuclear accident. It
allows only the operator (NPCIL) to sue the manufacturers and suppliers. Victims will not be able to sue
anyone. In reality, no one will be considered legally liable because the recourse taken by the operator will
yield only 1,500 crore (US$333 million). United states of America has a law on liability-related issues
for all non-military nuclear facilities constructed in the United States before 2026 named Price–Anderson
Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act. This American Act establishes a no fault insurance-type system in
which the first $10 billion is industry-funded as described in the Act (any claims above the $10 billion
would be covered by the federal government).

Controversy

Debate on nuclear power project at Jaitapur is ongoing on various levels. Environmental effects of
nuclear power and geological issues have been raised by anti nuclear activists of India against this power
project. Even though the Government of Maharashtra state completed land acquisition in January 2010,
only 33 out of the 2,335 villagers have accepted compensation cheques as of November 2010.

Opponents

 Earthquake prone site

Since Jaitapur being seismically sensitive area, the danger of an accident has been foremost on
the minds of people. According to the Earthquake hazard zoning of India, Jaitapur comes under
Zone III. This zone is called the moderate Risk Zone and covers areas liable to MSK VIII.
The presence of two major creeks on the proposed site has been ignored while clearing the site.
Post the Chernobyl disaster and the Three Mile Island accident people world over the world,
environmentalists and citizens of the area are questioning about safety, as when in 2007 the
 largest nuclear generating station in the world Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Japan
at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was closed for five months following an earthquake.

 Tsunami probability

The probability of a tsunami, and the damage thereof, has not been taken into account while
clearing the site.

 Radiation effects

Effects of nuclear radiation seen in Rawatbhata, India has raised further questions on effects of
radiation on health of people staying near nuclear power plants. The rise in deformities seen in
Rawatbhata is alarming.

 Radioactive waste disposal

It is not clear where the nuclear waste emanating from the site will be dumped. The plant is
estimated to generate 300 tonnes of waste each year. EPR waste will have about four times as
much radioactive Bromine, Iodine, Caesium, etc, compared to ordinary pressurized water reactor.

 Future of fisheries

Since the plant will use the sea water for steam generation and then release hot water in the
Arabian Sea, fishermen in villages around are predicting destruction of fisheries in the nearby
sea. Media articles also highlight the possible human and fisheries cost of this project

 Tata Institute of Social Sciences Report

Social impact assessment review of the project are being conducted by the Jamsetji Tata centre
for disaster management of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). According to this report,
the Government of India is not fully transparent with its own citizens. The government is hiding
facts about huge negative impact on the social and environmental development of the Konkan
region in general and the government also manipulating notification of the area from high
severity earthquake zone to moderate seismic severity zone.

Proponents are advocating the Jaitapur Project as safe, environmentally benign and economically viable
source of electrical energy to meet the increasing electricity needs of India. They believe that nuclear
power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by
decreasing India's dependence on foreign oil. The promoter of Jaitapur project is Nuclear Power
Corporation of India. It is a public Sector Enterprise under the administrative control of the Department of
Atomic Energy (India).

As of 2010 India is on the sixth in rank of an elite club of nations, after USA, France, Japan, the Russian
Federation and the Republic of Korea, to have twenty or more nuclear power reactors in operation.

The company is currently operating 20 nuclear power plants at six locations in India and is implementing
construction of 7 reactors at four locations. In 2009/10 company has generated 18831 million units of
electricity.[40]
According to former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar, the Jaitapur site is the best
as it fulfilled the technical and scientific norms needed for a nuclear power plant.

Pressure vessel of the European Pressurized Reactor/Evolutionary Power Reactor

All 20 nuclear power projects in India have been functioning very well and the waste generated at the this
nuclear power plant, will be recycled. Only five per cent of it would be encapsulated and stored at
technologically advanced places. It will not be buried anywhere. The waste will be stored for the next 30
to 40 years, till scientists develop some technology to treat it.

The environmental impact assessment and other associated studies of the Jaitapur project have been
carried out in detail over the last few years by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
(NEERI), Nagpur in collaboration with several other reputed organizations specializing in specific
environment studies.

These studies include,

 Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Pre-operational Baseline Radiological Survey of the Area around JNPP Site.

Radiological Dose Apportionment.

 Central Water and Power Research Station Pune

Thermal Dispersion Studies for Condenser Cooling Water (CCW) Discharges

Safe Grade Elevation Studies.

 Konkan Krishi Vidyapith College of Forestry, Dapoli

Baseline Biodiversity Study of the area around JNPP Site.

 Konkan Krishi Vidyapith College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri

Marine Ecological Studies.

 National Institute of Ocean Technology Chennai

 Costal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Demarcation Study.

 HTL.
 LTL.

Corporate social responsibility

Nuclear Power Corporation of India has adopted a corporate social responsibility policy, by which 1.5 to
2 per cent of the net profit from Jaitapur plant would be spent in that area only. Development projects will
be decided by local people and NPC will provide the funds to ensure development of these areas.

Protests

Many protests were carried out by local people against the proposed nuclear power plant. On 29
December 2009, 12 January 2010, and 22 January 2010, when the government authorities visited Madban
for distribution of cheques in lieu of compulsory land acquisition, the villagers refused to accept the
cheques. Government officials were shown black flags, denied any co-operation in carrying out their
activities. 72 people were arrested on 22 January 2010 when people protested against the compulsory land
acquisition.

On December 4, 2010, protests became violent when over 1500 people were detained from among
thousands of protesters, who included environmentalists and local villagers. Members and leaders of the
Konkan Bachao Samiti (KBS) and the Janahit Seva Samiti (organizations that are spearheading
opposition to the project) were also detained. In Mumbai, members of various trade unions and social
organizations came together to protest against the project. The protesters have raised serious doubts about
the neutrality of the Environment Impact Assessment Report, prepared by National Environmental
Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) which forms the basis of environmental clearance for the project,
since parallel studies by the Bombay Natural History Society have shown that the project will cause
substantial environmental damage.

Public Hearing

A public hearing on the environmental impact asessment (EIA) Report, prepared by NEERI was
conducted by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, on behalf of Ministry of Environment and Forests on
16 April 2010, at the plant site. The public hearing became controversial as the EIA report was not
delivered for study to 3 of the 4 Gram panchayat (local village bodies) a month in advance.

Events

Major Events as of March 19, 2011

Date Event
November 28,
India, France N-regulatory bodies meet on EPR safety issues
2010
A Conditional environmental clearance
 December 06,
Agreement signed with Areva for the construction of first set of two reactors
2010
March 14, Legislators and Ministers repeatedly caught on camera napping through the lectures of
2011 former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, in Maharashtra Assembly.
March 16,
Safety at Jaitapur not my responsibility: Jairam Ramesh
2011
March 19, India must learn from Japan's calamity and review all the planned nuclear projects in the
2011 country.: Former president of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

The proposed nuclear plant at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharshtra could be scrapped if it violates
regulations, said Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday.
In the aftermath of 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11 and the resultant massive tsunami in Japan that
devastated a large part of the country and has led to fears of nuclear radiation and meltdown at some of
the plants in the island nation, Ramesh has asked for a review of all projects along India's coastline which
were previously cleared.
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, Ramesh pointed out that there may be a conflict of interest as the
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is also responsible for safety issues related to radiation leaks
and pollution.

CONCLUSION:

We all have seen the disaster that is happening in Japan due to the nuclear reactor problem.
Agreed that Japan is prone to earthquakes and there could be umpteen reasons where people would say
that it cannot be compared to the Jaitapur project. But still the land lies in Seismic sensitivity zone 3. I
think all the possible steps should be taken to make sure that in process of making our country energy
secure, we much completely chop off a possibility of any harm happening due to nuclear reactors in
future.

I heard some people saying (so called environmentalists) that to become a superpower and to propel the
growth the 1.2 billion people, we need nuclear energy to fuel the growth. Does that mean, because of the
bold decisions taken by us (without calculating the risk factor) our future generations should be left at
imperil.

And for some people Mr. Jairam Ramesh might seem to be aggressive and intransigent when clearing
projects having an environmental effect, I completely respect the guy.

I guess he is doing his duty prudently (afterall an IIT alumini).

Agreed we need nuclear energy, to propel the growth of our economy. But should that come with a
devastating cost?