“Sincere, high level efforts” are on to break the deadlock over the commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project so that operations can commence soon, said Additional Chief Executive, Heavy Water Board, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, T.K. Haldar, on Saturday.
Speaking to The Hindu at the Mohamed Sathak Engineering College in Kilakarai, he said the Department of Atomic Energy and the Central government had established contact with the State government to find ways and means to break the deadlock. Intensive parleys were on with the authorities concerned. The efforts would provide positive result sooner than later.
Replying to a question, he said that the Department of Atomic Energy, which had suspended operations at the Kudankulam plant, had geared up to resume these immediately after the end of the deadlock. It would take at least four to six months for producing electricity from the first unit of the nuclear plant, as part of the trial run was yet to be completed. It would take another six months to start the second unit.
Asked whether the ongoing protest against nuclear energy was a setback to future nuclear energy programmes in India, Mr. Haldar said though it had slowed down the pace a bit, it would, in no way, affect future programmes. A few months' delay could not be termed a setback. “We do not treat the protest against Kudankulam as ‘opposition' but as ‘concerns of citizens'. We will certainly address the concerns.”
He said that there was no question of giving up the proposed new units at Kudankulam. Since Kudankulam had been provided with basic infrastructure for constructing more units, the Department of Atomic Energy would go ahead with the proposed expansion plan.
