Silver lining on power crisis

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As Tamil Nadu reels under unprecedented power shortage and public protests erupt in several places, a silver lining seems to be emerging on the Koodankulam nuclear power project (KKNPP) that could restart power-starved industries and switch on the lights for students.

For the first time since launching the agitation that halted work at the nuke plant last September, the ‘People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy’ (PMANE) finds itself on the back foot as some public groups and political parties began accusing it of causing their ‘dark’ misery by delaying the KKNPP.

Its members were heckled by Hindu Munnani on January 31 and even the Congress party, usually indifferent to local issues, held a big rally at Palayamkottai last Saturday to urge the state government to help resume work at the nuke plant.

Congress leaders who spoke at the meeting sternly warned PMANE of criminal action if the charge of flow of foreign funds, which is under probe, is proved.

The PMANE leader S.P. Udayakumar had threatened to sue Union minister V Narayanasamy for accusing him of receiving Rs 1.5 crore from some foreign source to fund the anti-nuke campaign, but went mum after home minister P Chidambaram spoke of stiff punishment if the probe revealed funds inflow.

Coupled with the new Congress aggression and the public hostility, PMANE is now stunned by the state government announcing an expert committee to go into the locals’ fears of nuclear accident at KKNPP.

Mr Udayakumar has been doing his best to get on the right side of the state government and so was quick in welcoming the state committee but at the same time, he did not refrain from waving the red flag at the inclusion in the panel of former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission M R Srinivasan who is known to be pro-nuclear energy.

KKNPP should have begun production end of last year and made available about 1,000 MW to the state grid.

However, formation of the expert committee is seen as a positive step towards resuming work at the plant. “Just now, the US nuclear regulatory commission has cleared two reactors in the state of Georgia, ending its moratorium on nuke licences for 34 years.

Americans have realised that nuclear power, produced from a large base, is the cheapest alternative in the long run”, said G. Srinivasan, director, reactor operations and maintence, IGCAR, Kalpakkam.

Commission phase I K-plant: CII

Faced with an acute power shortage heightened by an 8-hour power cut, industries in the state want the impasse on Koodankulam nuclear power plant to end.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has submitted a memorandum to the government urging it commission the project at the earliest.

“With the state reeling under severe power crunch, KKNPP is the only ray of hope and the government should at least commission the first phase of the plant,” said Mr N.K. Ranganath, chairman of CII Tamil Nadu State Council.

He told reporters that the council had suggested numerous short-term and long-term measures to tide over the power crisis. Pointing out to the Rs 40,000-crore debt of Tangedco and losses
of TANTRANSCO, he said, “If they had been normal corporations, they would have been sick now.”

Among the council’s proposals are to declare a standard 40 per cent power cut than random unscheduled ones and implement power holidays in industries. “Unscheduled power cut is gravely affecting process industries and if there is a standard cut, they can plan their work efficiently,” Mr Ranganath said.

The council has also mooted for VAT exemption on furnace oil and diesel for industries and allow captive power plants to sell excess power to industries directly.

On long-term measures, Mr Ranganath suggested metering of free power given to farmers to stop power pilferage. Better demand side management and a 25-year rolling plan for power in the state irrespective of governments was needed, he said.

“If the government wants to subsidise, that money should be compensated and those losses should be resting on the government balance sheets than that of the corporations,” he insisted.