Visakhapatnam: The much talked about environment public hearing for the proposed nuclear power plant at Kovvada, 70 km from here in Srikakulam district, is expected to be held in the middle of 2017. As per the original schedule of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. the public hearing was supposed to be held in 2013. With the change in the reactors and their rating, NPCIL has just started a fresh environment impact assessment which will take at least a year to submit the report to MoEF.
The NPCIL had finished conducting the grama sabhas in the villages that will affect the rehabilitation package it is offering. Land acquisition notice is expected to be issued in a month or two.
NPCIL has estimated that Rs 650 crore would be needed for land acquisition and also for Relief and Rehabilitation (R & R) issues. NPCIL would start geo-technical evaluations and investigations as soon as the NPCIL gets the actual possession of the land. NPCIL officials said that as soon as government land is transferred required evaluations would be launched.
A fresh notification as per the new land acquisition policy to acquire remaining 40 per cent of the required land from private parties would be issued soon. However, land acquisition will begin after getting all statutory clearances from government agencies like AERB, MoEF.
All necessary studies like marine survey, weather conditions in pre and post monsoon and seismic studies have already been carried out for the nuclear park.
“The Terms of Reference (ToR) are being prepared and expected to be submitted to MoEF shortly after which EIA will begin. We are hopeful of submitting the EIA report within a year and go for public hearing,” said a senior official of NPCIL.
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), additional secretary, C.B.S. Venkataramana, who was in Vizag a few months ago to take part in a seminar said that it will take a minimum of eight years from the time the Kovvada plant project is grounded to be operational.
