KAIGA (UTTARA KANNADA): Karnataka is set to receive a significant boost to its power supply, with 50% of its allocated share expected to come from the upcoming Units 5 and 6 at the Kaiga Nuclear Power Station (KNPS) in Uttara Kannada.
Despite the threat of agitations by the locals and the greens having approached the National Green Tribunal, the KNPS officials remain confident about the project. “The allocation will be decided by the Union Ministry for Power. Even then, the state will have a lion’s share, where nearly 50% of the power will be given to the state,” said Umed Yadav, head Corporate Commissioner NPCIL, who was in Kaiga.
Karnataka currently gets 35% of its power from four KNPS units that generate 220 MW each. Two new 700 MW units are expected by 2030, supplying power to the southern grid shared with neighbouring states.
Site director Kaiga Vinod Kumar B assured that there should not be any apprehensions among the people over the power plant, as all the security and safety measures have been taken. He said that the plant has received all the required clearance from the MoEF.
“The construction activities have gathered pace. The excavation activities are completed and construction is expected to commence after the current monsoon,” he said. He said that the turbine package has been awarded to M/ S Bharath Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), and the nuclear package has been awarded to M/SMegha Engineers and Infrastructure Limited.
When questioned about the case in NGT by Kaiga 5 and 6 unit Virodhi Horata Samithi- a Karwar-based organisation challenging the MoEF clearance to the project, he said he is confident that he will get the order.
H N Rameah, chief engineer, said that there will not be any land acquisition or forest land diversion for the project. “We have clearance for the project and we do not need more than 1.8 lakh square metres (450x400 metres) of land for the construction of these two units.
The project was allocated across 120 hectares way back in 1988, of which 65.91 hectares were utilised for four units, and now we have 54.09 hectares. We are going ahead with the project without any fresh acquisition,” he informed. “We have also completed afforestation in Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts as per the norms,” he said.
Informing that there will not be any discharge into the Kadra dam from the units, he said that Karnataka will be the first to get fleet mode reactors of the total 10 reactors. The plant has clearances from the MoEF, State Pollution Board, Wildlife Board, and site clearance from the Atomic Energy Research Board, Rameah said.