Nuclear Energy

guidelines.” It’s unbelievable – the MoEF means to say that all other equipment can violate notified
guidelines!.
Now, for the specific conditions. Some of them are plain stupid. For instance, condition 12
reads: “During construction of the township and other buildings, it shall be ensured that the
buildings confirm to the energy efficiency, water utilization efficiency, as well as the GREHA
norms.” Probably Mr. Ramesh is also holding the PWD portfolio, and has got confused with his
multiple responsibilities.
Most of the specific conditions are actually what the EIA should have tried to prove.
Condition 13 reads: “It shall be ensured that the temperature differential of the discharged water
with respect to the receiving water does not exceed 5°C at any given point of time.” Condition 14
says: “Appropriate safeguard measures shall be taken to ensure that the biodiversities in the sea
adjoining Ambolgad are not affected adversely due to the project.” Condition 18 stipulates: “The
radioactive dose apportionment from each unit shall be as per the limits prescribed by the AERB.”
And so on... It was the job of the EIA to assess whether the temperature of the discharged water
would exceed 5°C or not, whether the biodiversity of the area would be adversely affected or not,
whether the radioactive leakages would be within the AERB limits or not, and so on. The EIA has
not done any of these assessments! The EIA should have been scrapped, the environmental
clearance withheld, and a fresh EIA ordered. Instead, the MoEF gives environmental clearance to
the plant, and expresses the pious hope that the plant would fulfill these ‘conditions’.
Condition 2 states: “The following additional details shall be submitted within 12 months: A
comprehensive biodiversity plan shall be prepared for Jaitapur ...; a special plan will be made to put
in place adequate safeguard measures to ensure that the fisheries in the sea adjoining Ambolgarh are
not affected adversely due to the project...; etc. etc” Actually, only after completion of these studies
and development of these plans should the environmental clearance have been given. Instead, again
the pious hope is expressed that these plans would be drafted in a year’s time.
Actually, while giving environmental clearance for the project, the Environment and Forests
Minister Jairam Ramesh himself stated the real reason for granting the approval: “On the one hand
there have been many issues raised on the preservation of marine biodiversity, an area in which
India has been very weak. But at the same time there are weighty strategic and economic reasons in
favour of the grant of environmental clearance now.” dci
Or rather, despite the adverse environmental impact, it was “weighty strategic and
economic” reasons because of which the project was given the clearance!
The irresponsible DAE!
Let us for a moment keep aside our main argument that nuclear power is deathly, it cannot
be the solution to our energy problems, construction of all nuclear plants should be stopped
immediately, and all plans to build new nuclear plants should be scrapped. Let us for the moment
accept the government of India argument that the country needs nuclear power as a solution to our
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