Ratnagiri to get a nuclear power station

Kaiga, Karnataka, Feb 26 (UNI) With the power crisis worsening in Maharashtra, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) has got the Central Government's approval to construct a nuclear power station at Jaitapur in Maharashtra's Ratnigri district, AEC Chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar disclosed here today.

He made the disclsoure in reply to a question from Mumbai media who visited Kaiga to witness the criticality of 220 mega watt unit-3 of the nuclear power plant here today.

Dr Kakodkar said the Union Government had sanctioned Rs 3,282 crore - Rs 2,727 crore for the basic cost and Rs 555 crore towards interest payment - for the construction of unit-3 but Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) built it with Rs 2,500 crore in a record time of 4 years and 11 months.

Reiterating that his concerns over the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement remains, the AEC Chairman, also Secretary in the department of atomic energy, however, said the process of negotiations would continue according to the Prime Minister's statement in the Parliament.

Dr Kakokdar said security at all the nuclear plants in the country has been augmented and additional measures will be taken as per requirement.

He said NPCIL will increase capacity of wind mills at Kodakulam in Tamil Nadu as part of its energy diversification programme.

NPCIL currently operates 16 nuclear reactors generating 3,900 MWe in the country. Of these 14 are heavy water reactors and two reactors at Tarapore in Maharashtra are light water reactors.

Besides Kaiga's unit-3 going critical today, six more reactors in the various stages of completion will bring the total number of reactors to 23.

UNI