Centre Plans to Fine-Tune Coastline Core Projects

Centre plans to fine-tune Coastline Core Projects
ET Bureau, Mar 17, 2011, 04.38am IST
Tags:
Jairam Ramesh|environment minister
NEW DELHI: In the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan, the Centre is considering fine-tuning its plans of locating key infrastructure projects, such as power plants, along the coast. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh, who described the tsunami as a wake-up call, stressed the need to determine the carrying capacity of India's coastline.

Ramesh has maintained that a large number of projects, especially power plants which use large quantities of water, will have to be located along the country's 7,000 odd kilometre coastline. "I have been saying how water shortages mean that the country has to get used to the idea of power plants along the coast. But the tsunami in Japan is a wake up call. While we should avoid a knee-jerk reaction, we need to determine the limit of projects that can be set up along the coast," Ramesh said.


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He said there was no rethink on the idea of setting up projects along the coast, but events of the past week show the need for better planning. This would mean making proper assessment of exactly how many projects and of what size could be built in coastal areas without causing imbalances.

In January, while unveiling the Coastal Regulatory Zone notification, 2011, Ramesh had said: "India must get used to power plants in the coastal areas. This is not just on account of imported fuel but also because of water shortages in the country. The need for large quantities of water for these plants is the main reason for locating them along the coast."

The environment minister argues that the issue of water shortage and the need for power to fuel the economic engine has not changed the need to look at coastal locations. But, clearly, the devastation in Japan has forced the government to factor in carrying capacity of the coasts before going all out to promote it as a location for projects like power plants.

In order to ensure balance, Ramesh suggested the need to take a realistic view of the country's energy requirements.