Lok Sabha Debates
Regarding Agitation By The Local People Against Setting Up Of Jaitapur Nuclear ... on 16 March, 2011
> Title: Regarding agitation by the local people against setting up of Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant.
DR. RAM CHANDRA DOME (BOLPUR): Sir, I want to bring to the notice of this House and the Government, an important matter of national importance.
Presently, the tsunami disaster has affected Japan which directly which indirectly affected the nuclear power plant installations. It has damaged the nuclear installations and radiation hazards are there. Probably, this will be the second disaster in the world of its kind after Chernobyl. Thousands of people have already been affected by tsunami directly and we do not know how many people will be affected by radiation hazards.
Now our Government has also proposed nuclear power plants in different parts of our country and some nuclear power plants are already operating. We have to be very much cautious about it. One specific issue which I want to bring to the notice of the Government is that the proposed nuclear power plant with a capacity of 9900 MW at Jaitapur in Maharashtra falls in the seismic zone category-III as per the Geological Survey of India report. The past data shows that between 1985-2005 about 92 earthquake instances took place in that area.
Especially in the year 1993 there was one of the biggest earthquakes in the area which recorded 6.2 in the Richter scale. In this area the ground soil is already unstable as per the opinions of the scientists and geologists. But unfortunately, either knowing full well, or for not having gone into the full details of these scientific data, the Government has proposed installing this nuclear power station there in the coastal zone which is already in a vulnerable position both scientifically and technically. Moreover, in this backdrop of the disaster in Japan where our nuclear scientists are helplessly waiting to bring under control such a disaster though I have full faith in the ability of our nuclear scientists of our country and also I am not against nuclear power generation for civil purposes… (Interruptions)
MR. CHAIRMAN : So, what is your advice?
DR. RAM CHANDRA DOME : Sir, thousands of people will be affected and the livelihood of farmers and fishermen will be at stake. They are in agitation for economic reasons and also to protest against their displacement. But that agitation has been brutally attacked by the administration and police there. Hundreds of fishermen and farmers are behind the bars.
Sir, under the circumstances, my considered view and also the considered view of my Party is that this proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur should be scrapped immediately and simultaneously other proposed sites also should be meticulously and cautiously assessed before installing nuclear power stations in such places. Also, a proper assessment of the already installed nuclear power stations should be done so far as the safety part is concerned so that this sort of a disaster does not happen in our country. I urge upon the Government to look into these serious issues and take appropriate action and not go in for further installation of nuclear power station at Jaitapur.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Shri Saidul Haque may be allowed to associate with the matter raised by Dr. Ram Chandra Dome.
Shri Shivarama Gouda --- Absent.