Awareness can pave the way for the Ratnagiri nuclear energy project, states Dr. Mashelkar

Sawantwadi: In the current scenario, nuclear energy is essential for the nation, and more power plants need to be built. There have been no instances of harm caused by these plants anywhere in the country. Thus, if the government raises awareness among the citizens, nuclear energy projects such as the one in Ratnagiri can take hold. To promote Konkan's development, we can't merely rely on manachi shrimanti (generosity) but we also need to become shrimant (prosperous), stated senior scientist Dr Raghunath Mashelkar.

Dr Mashelkar stated that various functioning nuclear power plants in the country are safe and have not seen any accidents. The belief that mango yield gets affected by these plants is completely unfounded, and we've seen in Gujrat's Jamnagar that good mango yield can exist with a power plant. Thus, given our increasing energy needs, these projects are more than vital. 

Awareness needs to be raised for the Ratnagiri project. He gave an example of a friend who used awareness as a tool to gather consensus to build a nuclear power plant in Australia. The same type of awareness should be spread among those affected by the Ratnagiri project, said Mashelkar. If the government allows, I'm more than willing to go there and contribute and devote the rest of my life to Konkan's prosperity, the senior scientist stated.