With the people of Kolar in Karnataka vehemently protesting the government’s alleged plans to dump the nuclear waste in the abandoned gold mine of the district, the Centre today clarified before the Supreme Court (SC) that it has no such intentions.

In a supplementary affidavit, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has told the court that nothing was stated in earlier affidavit which suggested that NPCIL has identified Kolar Gold Mine for storing nuclear waste.

“Considering the sensitivity of the subject and intense public interest in the matter, NPCIL is filing the present supplementary affidavit to clarify the matter as follows.

Nothing stated in para 26 of the affidavit or otherwise should be read to suggest that NPCIL has identified Kolar Gold Mine of BGML located in south India as one of the sites for storage of nuclear waste,” the affidavit said.

The Corporation said the contents of its earlier affidavit were misinterpreted by a section of media.

The Corporation in its affidavit dated November 7 had said it has developed underground chamber in Kolar gold mines for underground research laboratory (URL).

“Keeping in line with the international developments, initial focus of work in the eighties mainly centred on setting up of generic underground research laboratory (URL) in one of the abandoned mines in India and resulted in the development of underground chamber in Kolar gold mines,” the affidavit had said without naming the site where the nuclear waste is to be dumped.

The affidavit was filed in compliance of the apex court order directing the Centre to explain as to how it would dispose the nuclear waste of the Kudankulam Nuclear Plant.

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