Society for People’s Advancement

Technology & Heritage

(Registered under the Societies Registration Act 1861)
275, Sector-2, HUDA, Rohtak-124 001

Press Note

Find alternate site for nuclear power plant

near Gorakhpur in Fatehabad
Rohtak, 13 Jan. - The trouble that has been brewing in group of villages around
Gorakhpur in Dist. Fatehabad ever since the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.
(NPCIL) has announced the acquisition of land for raising a nuclear power plant of
2800 MW capacity is actually manifold in nature. Its sociological, economical,
environmental and scientific aspects have to be examined in detail and publically
debated before the start of the fundamental exercise to establish a NP Plant in the
vicinity of the populated villages which have been living there in peace for many
centuries. It is surprising that several scientific departments and organization such as
the two universities, HARSAC and other institutions of Central and State Govts.
located at Hisar have become mere spectators and considered that there was no
worthwhile role for them to intervene? It is presumed that the geophysical features of
the land comprising the four villages – Badopal, Kajalheri, Kumharia and Gorakhpur
and the availability of water from Fatehabad branch of canal were taken into account
before the land was selected by NPCIL and an announcement made to this effect.
Obviously, there was also a political push to this project.

It is well known that without electric power the society cannot move forward
nowadays. The future is bleak and the people are left defenseless and meek in the
absence of regular power supply. Earlier, there were violent agitations in the area for
non-supply of electric power. The theft of electric power from supply lines is rampant
and the bills are not regularly paid. A super thermal power plant cannot be
established here as it may cause huge amount of pollution – a situation that can be
assessed by studies done about the Thermal Power Plant located near Panipat.

The fear of the residents of the above villages towards nuclear power plants
that it will spew out hazardous radioactive gases and emit radiation are unfounded as
the nuclear power plant is the cleanest and most reliable source of electric energy. Its
core-container is very robust and the alloy materials used do not corrode easily.

We never had any major mishap in our nuclear power plants in India. Our
engineers are the best in the world. Our safety records are excellent in the world that
are regularly monitored by International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (IAEA) as
can be exemplified from the early history of Narora Atomic Power Station in
Bulandshahr district of UP that was situated on the bank of the river Ganges way
back in late nineteen seventies and against the establishment of which Dr. Dhirendra
Sharma, the then Professor, Center for Science Policy in JNU had conducted a long
lasting agitation.

The only concern of the villagers around Gorakhpur is that the land is fertile
and irrigated which they have owned for many generations and are emotionally
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attached to it. The recent Govt. decision may dislocate them. They need to be told
that sacrifices have to be made. In this regard the NPCIL and the Govt. of Haryana
have done neither a good public relations exercise to convince the people that the
nuclear power plant is the best option nor taken them into confidence as to how the
change that it would bring in their lifestyles has to be tackled on sociological and
emotional fronts. It is because lack of information that the agitation and picketing was
started. There was hardly a need for it had the concerned authorities provided logical
information to District Public Relations Unit to dissipate fears.

Because of the geophysical features, there are alternative sites in the Mahendragarh
district that have also to be examined in the meantime. Why an exclusive pipeline to
supply Himalayan water cannot be laid if the Nuclear Plant is located somewhere in
the Aravallis in Mahendragarh district. What use are our satellite surveys and
observations if we cannot find a proper site for nuclear power plant by using the
imageries and ground penetrating radars?

Ranbir Singh
President