Green activists oppose expansion of nuclear plant in coastal Karnataka

Sirsi (Uttara Kannada), Dec 14: The members of three environmental groups in coastal Karnataka have strongly opposed the Union Government’s move for expansion of the Kaiga Nuclear Plant in Uttara Kannada district and appealed to go for alternate sources of power generation including Solar.

The three organisations -- Uttara Kannada Zilla Psrisara Samrakshana Samiti, Bedti Aghanashini Kolla Samiti and Vruksha Laksha Andolana --  held a joined press conference here and appealed to the Centre to shelve its plans to go for 5th and 6th unit of the Kaiga Nuclear Plant as it would prove disastrous in the eco-sensitive area in the Western Ghat region in the State.

The appeal came ahead of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s Public Hearing meeting scheduled on Dec 15. The Union government has approved two plants of 700 MW each.

Expressing serious concern on the expansion plan the environmentalists urged the Centre to review its decision in overall interest of people and the environment.

Kaiga Nuclear Plant or Kaiga Generating Station is a nuclear power generating station situated at Kaiga, near the river Kali, in the coastal district of Uttar Kannada The plant has been in operation since March 2000 and is operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India.  It has four units. The fourth unit went critical on 27 November 2010. The two oldest units comprise the west half of the site and the two newer units are adjoining the east side of the site. All of the four units are small-sized CANDU plants of 220 MW.

In December 2018, it got the distinction of setting a world record of continuous operation among all nuclear power plants. As on December 10, 2018, KGS-1, which was synchronized to India's Southern grid on May 13, 2016, continues to operate for a record number of 941 days. Previous record of continuous operation was held by Unit 8 of Heysham II, which operated from February 18, 2014 to September 15, 2016 for a record number of 940 days.