Proposed Nuclear
Power Plant at Sundarbans, West Bengal
Dear Sir, We strongly oppose the West Bengal Government's proposal to set up
a nuclear power plant in the State of West Bengal. Any nuclear plant would be
hazardous and harmful to the health of the people of the State. The adverse
effect that such a plant will have on the health of the people will be irreversible
and of very severe consequence.
From the news published in different newspapers, including Aajkal, Ananda Bazar,
The Statesman, The Telegraph, and Pratidin as also from publications in various
other media, it appears that in response to the proposal of National Power Commission,
the West Bengal Government has agreed to allot land and provide other facilities
for installation of a nuclear power plant in our State. It also appears that
for the aforesaid purpose, a high powered committee has been formed comprising,
(1) Shri Subimal Sen - Secretary, Science and Technology Department; (2) Shri
Ram Sevak Bandopadhyay - Power Secretary, Government of West Bengal; (3) Shri
G.D. Gautam -- Chairman, West Bengal State electricity Board; (4) Shri Bijon
Paul - Managing Director, West Bengal Power Development Corporation; (5) Shri
Manish Gupta - Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal.
So far as we have been able to ascertain, the designated job of the said committee
will be to select an appropriate site for installation of the proposed nuclear
power plant. We have also come to know that the said committee has already selected
the Sundarban area in the South 24 Parganas of the district of West Bengal as
the appropriate site for such nuclear power plant. We have also come to know
that the said committee has written to the District Magistrates of the other
districts of West Bengal requesting for information regarding an appropriate
site for installation of the proposed nuclear plant. However, such requests
appear to be mere formality since the Sundarban area has already been selected
as the appropriate site
for installation of the nuclear power plant mentioned here in above.
We are extremely worried and concerned about the aforesaid proposed installation
of nuclear plant in the Sundarban area, for, inter alia, the following reasons:
i) Installation of such a nuclear power plant would have extreme adverse effects
on the environment of that area and will severely affect the natural surroundings
and the health of the people residing in or in the vicinity thereof. ii) Installation
of such a nuclear plant will have serious adverse effects on the ecology of
that area and will also severely jeopardize the consolidated effort of preserving
greenery and preventing deforestation in and around that area.
If the Government of West Bengal allows the installation of the proposed nuclear
plant in the Sundarban area, the natural environment of that area will be destroyed
by reason of the adverse toxic efforts of the nuclear plant. Further, in due
course of time, other parts of the State including the city of Calcutta will
be affected by toxic nuclear reactions.
It may be noted that a well-known environmentally conscious newspaper, The Hindustan,
published from Calcutta in West Bengal, in its edition dated 27 April 2000 has
strongly opposed the proposal of setting up of the nuclear plant in the State.
Having learnt of the aforesaid proposal regarding setting up of the said nuclear
plant in the Sundarban area, some of the intelligentsia of the State including
Shri Sankar Sen, the former Minister of State for power, Smt. Malini Bhattachargee,
former M.P., Shri Amiya Bagchi, Economist, and others have recorded their protest
to the aforesaid nuclear scheme by way of a written representation dated 27
April, 2000.
The grounds, on which we oppose installation of nuclear plant, are, inter alia,
as follows: 1. The underground water of the concerned place would be polluted.
2. Nuclear power plant has been proved to be extremely costly and unsafe to
human health. 3. Environmental balance in and around the nuclear plant will
be affected and destruction of life is very likely. 4. The accidents at Chernobil,
Ukraine, USSR where more than 6 lakhs people were affected with deadly diseases
including cancer, thrombosis and loss of protection power of the body due to
radioactive ray. 5. In Japan, due to the worst nuclear accident in last September
1999, numerous people were exposed to radiation and died. The Japanese city
of Shinora was exposed to an estimated 10 (ten) sieverts of radiation which
is 10,000 times more than the maximum permissible exposure in Japan.
Till now no country in the world has been successful in safe and careful preservation
of nuclear waste.
Radioactive elements have very bad effect on human health including adverse
effects on digestion, blood circulation, gastric functions and other important
functions of the human body.
We are of the firm belief that there is no requirement for installation of any
nuclear power plant in the Sundarban area or any other area of West Bengal and
any such installation will not have any beneficial effect on the State or on
the inhabitants of the State. On the contrary, any such installation of nuclear
power plant will cause unnecessary health hazards and problems to the people
of West Bengal.
In view of the aforesaid, we strongly protest against the setting up of any
nuclear power plant in the Sundarbans area or anywhere in the State of West
Bengal. This is not only for your information, but also we would request you
to kindly intervene in his matter at the earliest. Your valued opinion in this
respect is solicited. A seminar will be held on 8th July 2000. Expecting best
wishes from your end.
-- Achintya Kr. Bose, Secretary, East Calcutta APDR
(PUCL Bulletin, August 2000)