Despite Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's assurance that the government would not go ahead with the Jaitapur nuclear power plant unless it was fully secure, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has already sought tenders for building a concrete testing laboratory and a meteorological laboratory at Madhban, the proposed site of the plant.
Long-term dangers cited
As per the advertisement issued in a Marathi daily on Tuesday, the NPCIL called for tenders to build the facilities, amounting to Rs. 276.75 lakh. The tender comes even as environmentalists and locals are opposing the plant, citing long-term ecological dangers in the region.
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Protests stepped up
The protests have been stepped up after the nuclear crisis in Japan.Speaking to The Hindu , Jagdish H T, Additional Chief Engineer of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) said; “The tenders will be opened on April 26. The work is expected to start a month later.”
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The meteorology laboratory would also have the facility to measure seismic activity in the region, he added.
Responding to a debate in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Chavan said: “The State government will not accept any nuclear project including Jaitapur until all safety issues are addressed.”