Site Evaluation of the Proposed Nuclear Power Station

Project Site Location

The project site is located between 15o 50’ and 17o 00’ latitude and between 78o 00’ and 79o 45’ longitude south of Hyderabad city in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The total area proposed for acquisition for the proposed nuclear station is 1965 km2 out of which 325 km2 forms the part of Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve within 25 km radius of proposed site of nuclear power station are (i) Reserved Forest areas of Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (ii) Reserved Forest areas outside the Tiger Reserve boundary and (iii) water bodies including Hallia, Chandravanka and Krishna rivers and Nagarjunasagar reservoir.

Conservation Values of the Proposed Site

All the wildlife habitats within 25 km radial zone of project site are a home to a large number of wilderness species of great conservation significance.The Reserved Forests (Deverkonda and Miryalguda Ranges of Nalgonda Forest Division) designated under the Tiger Reserve are abode of endangered species like tiger, panther, fishing cat, wolf, rattle, pangolin, smooth coated otter, black buck, mouse deer, chinkara and four horned antelope.

The Krishna and the Chandravanka rivers near Ethiopothalla water falls have special significance as unique habitats for mugger crocodiles that were reared in captivity and later released in these habitats for promoting the conservation of dwindling populations of crocodiles in the wild.

Nagarjunasagar Reservoir with water spread of 290 km2 and a maximum water depth of 192 m has an established habitat potential for supporting diverse aquatic fauna. Of these, Demoiselle crane and Bar headed geese are frequently sited.

Potential Threats Associated with Project Location

• The onslaughts of several irrigation and multipurpose projects in the past have fairly lowered the habitat potential of the Reserve. The efforts to restore the habitat potential of the Reserve have gained little success due to the physical reduction in the habitat area by the diversion of forest land for non forest purposes.
   

• Denotification of 325 km2 of Tiger Reserve area expected in the event of establishment of nuclear power station at the proposed site will bring about further reduction in the habitat area.
   

• Denotification of the specified area from the part of the peripheral zone of the Tiger Reserve would expose the central core to greater threats leading to decline of wildlife potential of even the core zone.
   

• The exclusion of Ethiopothalla from within the bounds of Tiger Reserve would be a major threat to the success of crocodile release scheme in Andhra Pradesh.
   

• The exclusion of Nagarjunasagar Reservoir from the Sanctuary in which it was earlier included to promote the conservation of aquatic values in large water bodies will jeopardise the efforts to conserve the wetland values in artificial water bodies.
   

Site Suitability Analysis

The problems that confront the acceptability of the proposed site for the location of the nuclear power station are largely due to the conflicts that the choice of the site pose to the conservation of wildlife in India. The country is already faced with dual challenges of protecting endangered species in the wild on one hand and safeguarding the interest of local people around wilderness areas on the other hand.

Setting up of new protected areas to bring in additional areas under the protected area network are considered as important strategies to safeguard India’s wildlife. To this effect, Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve has been established in the state of A.P. This is the only Tiger Reserve in the State of A.P. that has been established with the objective to conserve the rare and endangered wildlife species of Deccan plateau and the Peninsular region of the country. The evaluation of the project site therefore puts forth the justification for the conservation of the area and not for its diversion for setting up of nuclear power station.

Decision on Site Clearance

Based on the site evaluation report prepared by WII, the site clearance is still pending with the Govt. of India.

Location Map

State Map