Energy, beyond doubt is an essential prerequisite for basic civil amenities like transport, power, irrigation, and crop production. The technological innovations and industrial development are also solely dependent on energy sources. During the first half of the century, global energy consumption grew by about 2.2 percent a year. Later it increased to 5.2 per cent and between 1970 and 1990 it slowed down to 2.3 percent. Increase in oil prices in the early and late seventies and the introduction of measures to increase the efficiency of energy use and to curb the rising demand for energy in the developed countries resulted in the slower increase in energy consumption (Tolba, 1992).

Events in the past two decades brought a general realization that the era of cheap energy was over and that all economies would have to adapt to high energy prices. Despite many projections made about future world energy demand (El. Hinnawi, 1981; Anon., 1986; and Goldenberg et. al, 1987), there is a general agreement that the world energy demand will continue to rise, the growth rate will be highest in developing countries.

Energy is consumed in a variety of forms in India. Fuel wood, animal waste and agricultural residues are traditional sources of energy that continue to meet the bulk of the energy requirement in the rural areas. These non commercial fuels are gradually getting replaced by commercial fuels such as coal, lignite, petroleum products, natural gas and electricity. The past trend in sectoral energy consumption bring out that after the industry, transport sector is the main consumer of petroleum products which have to be imported in increasing quantities. The total requirement of petroleum in the economy is likely to double by 2004. The share of commercial energy in the total energy consumption will increase from 42.7 per cent in 1986 to 74 percent in 2004 (Anon., 1992a).

Electricity is the most convenient and versatile form of energy. Demand for it, therefore, has been growing at a rate faster than other forms of energy. Power industry too has recorded a phenomenal rate of growth both in terms of its volume and technological sophistication over the last few decades. Electricity plays a crucial role in both industrial and agricultural sector and, therefore, consumption of electricity in the country is an indicator of productivity and growth. In view of this, power development has been given high priority in development programmes (Anon., 1992a).

Energy production, transformation, transport and use have important impacts on the environment. These impacts depend on the source of energy, the technologies used in its production, and the sector involved- agriculture, industry, transport, domestic and commercial use. The environmental impacts of different energy systems are normally assessed for the entire fuel cycle - from extraction of material, through transportation, processing storage and use of the fuel, to the management of wastes generated in all steps of the cycle (Tolba, 1992).

One of the greatest challenges that India faces over the next several decades is how to speed economic growth without exhausting the resources on which that growth relies. Because of its size, India is one of the largest consumers of energy in the developing world and is among the top 20 consumers of commercial energy in the world (Anon., 1992b). On a per capita basis, however, its use of commercial energy is only one eighth of the world average (Anon., 1992a). In the 1980s, India's commercial energy sector grew about 6% a year, with electricity use growing faster at 9% annually. Mean while, the economy grew at an annual rate of 5%, with industrial output rising to 6.3% a year (Anon., 1993a).

India's importance as a global energy consumer will continue to rise. Indeed if current demographic and energy trends hold, within the next 40 years the country will surpass in its total energy use and total green house gas emission. Projections show that demand could increase fourfold by 2025, while its carbon emission could increase six fold as traditional biomass fuels are displaced by higher fossil fuel use (Sathaye and Godman, 1991).

To power its economic engine, India would continue to draw from a mix of energy resources. Foremost among these is coal, India's largest energy resource other than biomass. Today, coal provides about 40 percent of the nation's total energy requirement and is the source of about 60% of its commercial energy (Anon., 1992c). Natural gas today supplies about 8% of India's commercial energy needs, but its share is growing (Anon., 1992d).

Traditional biomass fuels of about 250 million tonnes a year - provide one third to one half of India's total energy needs and over three quarters of all household energy (Anon., 1991 and Anon., 1992c).

Like many developing countries, India suffers energy shortages that have severe economic side effects. Over the last decade, shortages of coal and electricity have progressively worsened, largely because of the low energy prices that do not provide sufficient return to producers (Anon., 1992e). Electric power generation falls some 10 percent short of demand on a nation wide basis, with even greater shortages in some regions. As a result utilities resort to scheduled power outages and many industries shut down during peak load times. Even with planning, unscheduled brownouts and blackouts are common. Economic losses associated with these power shortages are estimated at 1 to 2 percent of the national income (Sanghvi, 1991).

India nearing to step into the 21st century is facing one of its most crucial phases in energy sector, especially to cater the ever increasing demands for energy for developmental and technological purposes. Though India consumes energy in all its forms, ranging from animal energy at one end and nuclear energy at the other, greater emphasis has been given to generate electrical power by construction of hydel, thermal and nuclear power stations.

In India, at present we have in all, eight operating nuclear power reactors with a total installed capacity of 1515 MW. Except for the first unit of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station, Rawatbhata, all have been putting good performance. Work on eight more nuclear power reactors is in progress. These eight reactors are located two each at Kakrapar (KAPP 1 & 2 -2x220 MW), Rawatbhata (RAPP 3 & 4 -2x220 MW), Kaiga (KAIGA 1 & 2 -2x220 MW) and Tarapur (TAPP 3 & 4 -2x500 MW). Work at Rawatbhata and Kaiga is in progress; and at Tarapur, it is expected to be completed by 2000. With this, total installed capacity will increase from 1515 MW by the turn of the century.

At each stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from the mining of the uranium ores to fuel fabrication, power plant operation, eventual reprocessing of irradiated fuel and disposal of the wastes, radioactive materials are released into the environment. The radionuclides released, decay at different rates. Most are only locally significant because they decay rapidly, some live long enough to spread right around the world and yet some remain in the environment virtually for ever.

Unfortunately our past experiences have shown that at least some if not all developmental activities, have constrained the efforts of conservation of wildlife species and their habitats either by making direct or indirect impacts of these developments on the stability of their existing ecosystem. Considering the poor regenerative and restorative capabilities of the natural ecosystems, conservation of wildlife should remain central in the planning of developmental projects.

Assessment of the environmental impacts of major developmental activities such as the construction of Nuclear Power Projects have become mandatory requirement for environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India (MoE&F). Guidelines for siting of industries (Anon., 1984), have been formulated with a specific objective to ensure an optimum use of natural and man made resource in a sustainable manner with minimal depletion, degradation and destruction of environment. It has been clearly indicated in the guidelines that the entrepreneur should avoid ecologically sensitive areas at least within 25 km distance of the proposed site where the ecologically sensitive areas not only include Biosphere reserves, National parks and Sanctuaries but also any other areas that have established significance.

Further the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification of MoE&F (Anon., 1994a) places the nuclear power project in Schedule I category of projects. This only implies that it is extremely crucial to conduct EIA studies before environmental clearance is sought for such projects.

This report aims to provide the evaluation of the site for the Nuclear Power Station proposed to be set up near Nagarjunasagar in Andhra Pradesh.