Hindustan Times ·
Coastal Ratnagiri to become nuclear hub, locals gear up to protest
Locals are worried that discharge from the plants will destroy the delicate marine ecology, impacting fishing. They also ask why as many as four plants have been planned in one single district, raising safety concerns as well
MUMBAI: The picture-postcard coast in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district is set to become a nuclear power hub, with as many as four such plants proposed along the 167-km stretch. The plants, with a total installed capacity of 17,200 MW, will dot the coast from Dapoli in the north of the district to Jaitapur in the south.
However, intent on pushing ahead with its plans, the state government recently signed memorandums of understanding (MoUS) with four companies – Adani Power, Reliance Industries, JSW Energy and Torrent Power – for nuclear facilities along the Ratnagir coast. Plans are afoot despite stiff resistance from locals to the 9,900-MW Jaitapur plant to be developed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). The MoU was signed in 2010 but the project has since stalled.
