GCZMA forwards NPCIL's nuke plant in Guj to MoEF for clearance

The proposed 6,000 MW nuclear power plant by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) at Mithivirdi in Bhavnagar district, has been recommended to the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) for CRZ clearance by the Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
GCZMA deliberated the proposal of NPCIL and after discussion decided to recommend to the MoEF to grant coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance for construction of intake, outfall facilities, jetty and desalination plant at village, states the minutes of its 19th board meeting, held last month.
The decision on recommendation was taken with a rider that NPCIL will submit a detailed note on safety aspects and site selection criteria along with its advantages and a site visit will be carried out by the GCZMA member, a member of the committee said.

"The authority does not have any powers for granting clearance as such. We have just taken a decision to recommend the proposal to 15 member expert appraisal committee working under the Ministry of Environment & Forest. Now it is solely at their discretion to take a decision on it," a member of GCZMA said.
"Our decision to recommend it to the Ministry is just the first step towards getting environmental clearances for the project," he said.
NPCIL has made a presentation before the authority about activities to be carried out in CRZ area.
NPCIL representatives during the presentation had submitted that a forest land of 21 hectares is required for the proposed project for which they have filed an application with the State Forests Authority, states the board meeting minutes.

Meanwhile, the move has triggered opposition from environmentalists, who under the banner of Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, say that villagers will oppose it and shall write independently to MoEF highlighting the procedural anomalies.