Proposed Haryana nuke plant gets Environ Min`s conditional nod

New Delhi: A nuclear power plant proposed to be set up in Haryana is one step short of getting the green clearance with a high-level panel of the Environment Ministry giving conditional nod.

The decision to recommend green clearance to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) proposal for setting up a Rs 23,502 crore nuclear power plant in Fatehabad district was taken at a recent meeting of Expert Appraisal Committee on Environmental Appraisal of Nuclear Power Projects, official sources said. Environment Minister is the final authority to grant the clearance to the project to be set up around 200 km away from the national capital. The NPCIL proposal seeks setting up a nuclear power park, known as Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojna (4x700 MWe), at Fatehabad`s Gorakhpur village. The project, for which the Ministry accorded Terms of References (ToR) three years ago, would be implemented in phases. The first phase would comprise two units of 700 MWe each. The panel, which had sought details of the compensation paid and other measures as part of the project`s rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) plan for those affected, has insisted that the project proponent should consider the newly enacted Land Acquisition Act for providing relief for project affected persons including landless labourers. The proposal has been recommended for green clearance subject to several specific conditions. The eight-member committee, chaired by A R Reddy, has asked the NPCIL to obtain the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) clearance for the site for starting any construction work. The panel has suggested that the project proponent should take necessary precautionary measures in and around the plant. It has recommended that regular monitoring of conventional gaseous pollutants, radioactive pollutants in the air as well as in the discharged water should be monitored regularly as per the AERB standards and regular monitoring of ambient air quality should be carried out in and around the power plant and records maintained.