Locals and environmentalists have staged several protests against the central government's move to expand the Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka.
In 2017, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), under the Department of Atomic Energy announced the expansion of Kaiga Atomic Power Plant, which currently has four units. A major protest rally held in Yellapur on** 25 June 2017 **brought together environmental activists, politicians, and seers. Speakers, including prominent anti-nuclear activist Ananth Hegde Ashisara and IISc’s T V Ramachandra, called for a halt to the Kaiga expansion and demanded comprehensive safety and ecological studies.
The project proposes two new 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) units, Kaiga Units 5 and 6, adding 1,400 MW of nuclear energy to the grid, with 50% allocated to Karnataka. The NPCIL holds 1,665 hectares in Kaiga, of which 829 hectares lie under the Kadra reservoir and 665 hectares are forested. As per a 1988 diversion order, 120 hectares of forest land were allocated for six reactors. Units 1 to 4 occupy 65.91 hectares, and Units 5 and 6 would be built on the remaining 54.09 hectares.
Though in-principle approval was granted in 2011, Terms of Reference (ToR) was issued only in 2016, and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out by Mecon Ltd. The site lies just 1.3 km from the Kali Tiger Reserve and within the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. The EIA identifies 30,252 residents (as projected for 2018) within a 16 km emergency zone, but disaster preparedness, such as evacuation plans and medical infrastructure, remains inadequate, according to power policy analyst Shankar Sharma.
In December 2018, while Unit 1 of the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant was celebrated for operating uninterrupted for 941 days, villagers, activists, and environmentalists raised concerns over the proposed expansion. Protesters boycotted the 2018 public hearing, while environmental groups such as Uttara Kannada Zilla Parisara Samrakshana Samiti filed objections.
Meanwhile, a Tata Memorial Centre study cited a 200 percent rise in cancer cases in nearby Karwar between 2010 and 2013.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) granted EC in August 2019. On** **17 November 2019, hundreds of residents, alongside environmental activists and spiritual leaders, staged a large-scale protest in Mallapura, demanding a halt to forest diversion and advocating for renewable energy alternatives over nuclear expansion.
This clearance was challenged by Kaiga Anuvidyut Sthaward Virodhi Horata Samiti in Appeal No. 14 of 2019. In** **October 2022, the NGT’s Southern Zone bench suspended the EC and ordered fresh environmental, health, and hydrological assessments. Petitioners were instructed to approach MoEFCC for fresh environmental clearance; NPCIL was permitted to continue construction at its own risk, but commissioning was barred until fresh EC is granted. The case was then taken to the Supreme Court (Civil Appeal Diary No. 3368/2023), the appeal was dismissed without issuing notice, thereby upholding the National Green Tribunal’s decision.
In April 2023, the government approved a Rs 1.05 lakh crore plan to build 10 indigenous 700 MW reactors under a fleet-mode strategy, including Kaiga Units 5 and 6.
In April 2025, NPCIL awarded a Rs 12,800 crore EPC contract to Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd. (MEIL), marking the first private-sector entry into large-scale nuclear construction. As on July 2025, key equipment, including two steam generators, have arrived at the Kaiga site but the MoEFCC is yet to issue a revised environmental clearance for the project.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to cancel the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
No
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
No
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
12800
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2025
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone, Chennai)
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Supreme Court of India
Case Number
Appeal No. 14/2019 (SZ); Civil Appeal Diary No. 3368/2023
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC);
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL)
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd. (MEIL)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Uttara Kannada Zilla Psrisara Samrakshana Samiti, Bedti Aghanashini Kolla Samiti & Vruksha Laksha Andolana
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Asmita Sutar is an Architect and Urban Planner passionate about shaping sustainable communities through research and grassroots engagement. She also serves as an Assistant Professor in Urban and Regional Planning, bringing academic insight to her multidisciplinaryapproach.
As a State Researcher from Karnataka, Asmita investigates land and planning issues through the lenses of equity, governance, and community rights, with a focus on bridging the gap between policy and lived realities in India’s urban and rural landscapes.
