The anti-nuke protests in Tamil Nadu seem to be spilling over into Karnataka where the target is the Kaiga Atomic Power Station that is all set for expansion.

The fear is that the addition of units six and seven which will allow it to generate over 2,000 MWs of power could have an adverse impact on the Kali valley, a part of the Western Ghats.

While members of 300 Village Forest Committees (VFCs) who met in Sirsi on Wednesday opposed the expansion of the nuclear power station situated on the banks of the River Kali in Uttar Kannada district, there could be more protests in the area with locals taking a cue from the farmers who are up in arms against the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu.

Much like them, the villagers here too are angry with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCI) for taking a decision on expanding Kaiga without taking them into confidence.

Kaiga currently operates four units of 220 MWs each, but its new units will have the capacity to generate 700 MWs of power each.

"All new nuclear plants in the country are now capable of generating 700 MWs and so will the additional units at Kaiga. Half the power generated from the new units will be supplied to the state grid according to the terms of the memorandum of understanding," says Kaiga plant site director, Gupta.

He dismisses fears about the expansion affecting the ghats, explaining that simply generating more units of power cannot be a threat to their environment. "The new facilities are being built using modern techniques and will be as safe as any international nuclear station," he underlines.

But the officer doesn’t think the Kaiga power station will be able to increase its generating capacity anytime soon as it has not yet received the required permission from the Union government.

"Around 10 nuclear plants across the country have got a green signal in the 11th five year plan but Kaiga does not figure among them. We are hoping it will find a mention in the 12th five year plan," he adds .

The Kaiga story

* In 1985 the central government announces an atomic power plant at Kaiga.

* During the 80s and 90s agitations by environmentalists and farmers takes centrestage. Then CM Ramakrishna Hegde writes to Centre to rethink location.

* In 1994, concrete dome of reactor unit 1 collapses injuring 14.

* In 2011 Kaiga announces the expansion and construction of Units 5 and 6.

We’re Accident free for over 40 years

Dr M.R. Srinivasan, Member & Former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

In the ongoing opposition to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, some people have suggested that we should explore all alternatives to nuclear power that may be feasible.

Some people have proposed that we could convert the KKNPP to a gas burning power station, on the analogy of such a change to the Shoreham nuclear plant in the USA. Our largest deposit, discovered so far, in the Krishna-Godavari basin is yielding far less gas than expected earlier.

Some people favour developing more wind power. To replace the two 1000 MW Kudankulam units, we will need 800 units of 2.5 MW size. This will require a very large land area, apart from a large investment.

What about the hydro-electric option? The southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka (and indeed Andhra Pradesh) have very little available hydro potential that can be developed.

Let us now discuss the role of coal in supplying power to the country. Indian coals have high ash content and low heat value. If we look at health hazards of the coal industry, black lung disease among coal miners and accident in coal mines both contribute to high adverse impact when calculated on a per kWh basis.

Following the Fukushima accident, the Prime Minister ordered a safety review of all nuclear units operating in India.

The World Association of Nuclear Operators carried out a peer review of Kudankulam and is satisfied about the design provisions, quality of workmanship and the competence of our operations and maintenance personnel. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board has carried out safety audits during design, construction, installation and commissioning phases.

When the southern region as a whole is suffering from acute shortage of power, to delay the start up of Kudankulam based on imaginary fears is most unfortunate.

The country should place its confidence on its nuclear engineers and scientists who have demonstrated their competence by operating twenty nuclear power units, the earliest two of which have been safely in service for over forty years. What we should ensure is that our nuclear power units are built to the highest standards of safety and operated in the best possible manner.

We should have confidence in our scientists and engineers and not be misled by vested interests who may have their own agendas. India’s economic progress depends vitally on electricity being made available to our farms, factories, homes, railway systems and other infrastructure. If economic progress slows down, our efforts to eliminate poverty in the country will also slow down.