Kudankulam plant to be operational soon, says V Narayansamy

New Delhi, June 13 (ANI): Minister of State (MoS) at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy said on Wednesday that Kudankulam plant would soon become operational after enriched uranium is loaded into the reactor.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier endorsed the Centre's decision to go ahead with the commissioning of the plant by stating that it had cleared every safety protocol.

"We have to load the enriched uranium, for which we have applied to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. After they give permission, we will load the enriched uranium and criticality will be achieved and within 25-30 days from the date of loading the enriched uranium, power production will start," Narayanasamy said.

Commenting on the progress of the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, Narayansamy said that the process to acquire land is over and an agreement would soon be signed in this regard.

"As far as Jaitapur nuclear power plant is concerned, land acquisition process is over. The negotiation with France is in the final stage. We are going to sign the agreement regarding starting the construction work," he said.

The Rs.13, 000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

Being built with Russian collaboration, the plant is expected to provide energy-starved India respite from power shortage.

The Indo-Russian nuclear plant joint venture, however, has run into trouble, with activists and locals staging massive protests citing safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima disaster that took place in Japan on March 11, 2011.

The frequent protests have stalled the commissioning of two 1000-megawatt nuclear reactors.

Several rounds of talks between a Central Government-appointed expert panel and representatives of villagers opposing the plant have failed to end the standoff.

The villagers say they fear for their lives and their safety in case of a nuclear accident, as also concerns over the long-term impact it would have on the population in the area.

Worried over the scale of protests against the plant, the PM had urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to support the project and had assured her that no safety features would be compromised at the plant.

While international experts have signed off on the facilities of the plant, deeming them strong enough to withstand an earthquake or a tsunami, the country's nuclear watchdog - the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board - has suggested that more security checks are needed at the plant. (ANI)