Monday, May 16, 2011

NPCIL to reach out to TISS students on Jaitapur issue

NEW DELHI: After Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh faced agitating students at Tata Institute of Social Sciences protesting against the clearance to the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India has promised to make a presentation to the faculty and students at the Mumbai campus.

NPCIL has also set up a committee under the head of the Bombay Natural History Society to study the marine ecology and bio-diversity in a 10-kilometre radius of the proposed Jaitapur site. The study will not be used to alter the decision to have the project at the site but will submit a comprehensive marine and bio-diversity management plan in one year.

The move by NPCIL to engage with TISS comes after Ramesh wrote to NPCIL asking it to improve its 'public communication' and at least talk to its next door neighbours – the premier institute in social sciences education.

Ramesh noted in his letter to NPCIL that the students had raised various issues about the project that he heard out for 75 minutes. The students had claimed that their field surveys showed a very large number of locals had not accepted the compensation and a large number of fishermen would be adversely affected besides taking up other issues about the project that has turned into a political battleground for the Prithviraj Chavan government in the state.

NPCIL, which is already reeling from bad press and has been indirectly blamed by Ramesh for not adequately handling protests and demands on ground, has reacted quickly to the minister's suggestion this time and reached out to TISS.

It has suggested that it could give a detailed presentation to the TISS faculty and students in June as well as take them for a site visit to the plant running at Tarapur.

toi

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