The Hindu : `Environmental delays dogging n-projects'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 28, 2002

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`Environmental delays dogging n-projects'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 27. Calling upon the Government to redouble its efforts to meet the 20,000-mw nuclear power target by the year 2020, a Parliamentary panel has expressed concern over environmental-related delays impeding projects meant to provide raw material for the nuclear power programme.

It also asked the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to quickly identify areas, especially in West Bengal, Assam and Himachal Pradesh, to set up nuclear power projects and wanted action taken in the matter to be communicated within six months.

Noting the challenges in increasing nuclear power generation such as the likely shutdown of old atomic power stations, such as the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station-I, and the focus on promoting hydel sector, a Standing Committee of Energy report tabled in Parliament recently wanted the DAE to formulate a perspective plan aimed at enhancing the share of nuclear power from the present three per cent to 10 per cent of the total electricity generation in the country.

The committee was concerned over hurdles blocking a number of joint venture projects promoted by the Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL). The joint venture for exploiting mineral deposits of Bhimli in Andhra Pradesh has been blocked by the Union Ministry of Environments and Forests because the rare Olive Ridley turtles also nest along the same coast.

The joint venture for Kudiraimozhi project has also not materialised because of objections by the Tamil Nadu Government. In case of other projects too, environment and pollution-related clearances take a lot of time leading to cost overruns.

The Government should first clearly evaluate the benefits from projects vis-à-vis the environmental costs before allowing any Ministry to start a project. But once a project is given the green signal, other clearances should come in a time-bound manner.

Taking up the case of an Australian company being denied permission by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on the grounds that synthetic rutile production is not a desired value addition, the panel felt that the competitive capability of IREL would increase if the plant goes on stream.

The committee, therefore, asked the DAE to impress on the FIPB that the product should have the desired value addition capacity and Austpac Resources should be allowed to set up its plant in India.

At the same time, the DAE should also explore the possibility of utilising indigenous technology.

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