Mumbai:
Fresh fears of a possible nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan that could lead to radioactive contamination in the area has once again turned the spotlight on India's most ambitious nuclear power project at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
The 9,900 MW proposed project is pegged to be the biggest in the world. It has already been facing stiff resistance from locals over fears of security and losing their livelihoods after the project comes up.
Both Fukushima and Jaitapur sites are on the coast but with one major difference: while Japan falls in Seismic Zone V, the very high-risk zone for seismic activity, Jaitapur is located in Seismic zone III which is the moderate risk zone.
But with the Japanese disaster, the Jaitapur project is certain to face a new round of opposition and the nuclear industry, renewed scrutiny.
Vivek Monteiro of the Konkan Bachao Samiti told NDTV, "All along experts had tried to convince us that Chernobyl was just an exception. Now, with what has happened in Japan nobody can say that nuclear power is safe and clean. We have not raised new questions. But the truth is that the questions we raised were ignored. What has happened in Japan has only increased the determination of the people to oppose the Jaitapur project. People across the board will now be asking questions about safety."
The Indian government has already signed a deal with French company Areva for its EPR technology that will be used in the six units at Jaitapur. It's a move opposed by activists who say the EPR technology is untested raising fears over its use and safety. Finland's EPRs are still under construction, facing huge cost escalations and expected to miss the deadline.
Maharashtra's Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, said, "Japan is located in Seismic Zone 5, but they decided to have nuclear reactors there because of their demands for power. We take our decisions based on safety. But the atomic energy department will answer questions on this."
The government says the plants at Jaitapur are designed to withstand earthquakes and have multiple layers of backup and a situation like what happened in Japan is unlikely to play out in the EPR.
Meanwhile, the opposition has already begun to flex its muscles on Jaitapur. Which means India's largest nuclear project will now come under even more scrutiny as the government readies itself to face these political aftershocks.