Nuclear Power Corporation of India starts preliminary construction work at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra

Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) has commenced preliminary construction work at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, even as protests continue against its upcoming plant there.

Since almost all the land required for the project is in the possession of NPCIL, construction of a 3-km boundary wall has started, NPCIL's Project Director, Mr C.B. Jain, told Business Line.

For study of the local soil, which is essential before construction of the plant and other ancillary buildings, soil samples from depths of 30 to 100 meters are being taken with bore drills. This study will help in designing and constructing the foundations of the buildings, he said.

Land pricing

“The contract for building the wall has been split into 10 parts so that local contractors could be used for building the wall and they can benefit from the project,” Mr Jain said.

NPCIL has acquired about 938 hectares from 2,335 farmers in Jaitapur. Of the total acquired land 67 per cent is barren, for which NPCIL had offered Rs 53,000 to Rs 1.05 lakh per hectare as compensation to the villagers. Grazing land constitutes another 26 per cent of the plant area; for this Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 4.22 lakh per hectare was offered. And for farm land, depending on the quality of the land, Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 6.34 lakh per acre was offered.

However, out of the 2,335 farmers only 100 have accepted their compensations cheques. A section of the farmers is waiting to see whether the State Government and NPCIL enhance the compensation package, while yet another section is not willing to part with their land.

Farmers' view

Mr Pravin Gavankar, local farmer and activist with Janhit Seva Samati, an NGO fighting for the rights of Jaitapur farmers, said that the local farmers don't trust the State Government or NPCIL.

“Land was also acquired from farmers while setting up the Koyna dam and Tarapur power plant but it proved to be disastrous for the locals. The relief and rehabilitation package was never properly implemented,” he said.

Mr Gavankar alleged that the land acquisition in Jaitapur has been done under the emergency powers of the Government. The process of acquisition was undertaken only by invoking section 144 of the IPC, which prohibits unlawful assembly of people, he said.