Four more nuclear plants proposed in Ratnagiri while Jaitapur is yet to start; opposition grows

Work on the Jaitapur nuclear power project has been going on for more than ten years, yet the plant has still not started operating. Four more nuclear power projects have now been proposed in Ratnagiri district, and opposition in the Konkan has once again intensified.

Work on the project had begun despite strong opposition from local people. More than 15 years have passed, but the plant has not been commissioned. The addition of four new projects has sharpened the opposition among people in the district, and anger has erupted across the region. A public movement has begun in Dapoli and Rajapur. The usual response from the government is that these projects are only proposed and have not yet been approved.

There is now talk that the reactors needed for the nuclear plant in Rajapur will be manufactured within the country. This has once again heated up the mood against these projects across the Konkan, including Ratnagiri. The proposed Jaitapur project has a capacity of 9.6 GW (9,600 MW) and is considered one of the largest in the world. It is planned to have six European Pressurised Reactors of 1,650 MW each. A French company is working as the main technology supplier and contractor for the project.

A high-level meeting was recently held in New Delhi, aimed at reviving India-France cooperation in civil nuclear energy. Representatives of the Union Power Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and the French company Electricite de France attended. Both countries agreed to manufacture the spare parts, engineering material and various equipment needed for the European reactors in India itself.

The prospect of the technology's spare parts being made in India has caused fear and anger among local people. It is claimed that Indian suppliers will get a big opportunity from this. Locally, however, people are opposing it, saying the project may be imposed permanently.

India's Power Ministry has begun preparing a new regulatory framework to make it easier for private and foreign partners to take part in the civil nuclear energy sector. The government says it is confident this will complete the licensing process faster and on time. It is said that the Centre's decision will remove legal, financial and technical hurdles in stalled and ambitious projects such as Jaitapur and speed up work.

However, protesters and local villagers have raised doubts that the entry of the private sector and the relaxation of rules will create safety concerns.