The Kovvada nuclear power plant was proposed in 2009 following the signing of the Indo-US Nuclear agreement in 2008. It is a six-gigawatt Light Water Reactor plant in Ranasthalam block of Srikakulam district. It is being set up by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), with the reactors provided by GE Westinghouse. The project spans over 2,079.79 acres in seven villages lining the coast and is estimated to displace about 8,000 people. Once set up, this project is likely to be India's largest nuclear power plant.
The displaced communities are largely fishing communities, who rely on the sea for their livelihood, and agriculturalists who grow paddy, coconut, banana and corn, among other crops. In 2015, when land acquisition began, the affected communities protested saying that this would impact their livelihoods and demanded that the social impact assessment be completed before land acquisition. They also demanded more information on the project and the safety precautions that were being taken.
While acquisition was being pursued by the government, in March 2017, Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy, after which the project was stuck. However, the state government announced in December 2017 that the land acquisition for the project was successfully completed. This was because 791 acres of the required 2,079 acres are government lands, making the land acquisition process easier.
By 2018, the US government claimed that it was emerging out of bankruptcy and would be able to deliver the reactors on time.
Despite the land acquisition order being issued in November 2015, the order said that acquisition proceedings will be carried out according to the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. The government issued the notification as per the state’s policy—Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) for Project Affected Families, 2005. The 2015 acquisition order appears to be unavailable online for review.
By September 2019, only 80 per cent of the compensation was paid for the acquired lands. Rehabilitation and compensation packages were provided to 1,850 of 1,892 beneficiaries. Further, while compensation of INR 18 lakh per acre was eventually agreed to be paid, the displaced farmers questioned the disparity in paying INR 48 lakh per acre to the displaced in Amravati. Even though all people living within those 30-odd kilometres will be exposed to high doses of radiation, compensation is being given only to those whose lands have been acquired.
In 2023 and 2024, the Union Minister of State for Science, Technology, and Earth Sciences stated in discussions in the Parliament that the Government of India was conducting talks with Westinghouse Company, a US based firm, for setting up the six nuclear reactors at Kovvada. The minister also confirmed that 2079.66 acres of land for the main plant area has been acquired and mutated in the name of NPCIL. In addition, 190.7 acres of land has been acquired for an R&R (rehabilitation and resettlement) colony and land for the employees' township has been identified by district administration.
Between 2024 and 2025, Left parties and trade unions like CPI(M) and CITU led mass mobilisations against the project, warning of potential threat to lives, environmental disasters and radiation hazards, particularly given the region’s seismic vulnerability.
In response to a Lok Sabha question, the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said that a total of 1865 project displayed families have been identified by the district administration and cash entitlements have been disbursed to 1848 as on 27 November 2024. So far a total of Rs 584.184 crore has been incurred for land acquisition and R&R (Rs 506.95 crore for main plant land and Rs 77.234 crore for R&R colony land). The balance requirement of approximately Rs 882.93 crore (for construction of R&R colony & other pre-project activities) has been approved by the Government of India.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for compensation
Demand for promised compensation
Refusal to give up land for the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
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
2017
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Water bodies, Agricultural land
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
300
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
2015
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Environmental Laws, Central/State Government Policy
Legislations/Policies Involved
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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
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:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Use of old/outdated laws
Violation of free prior informed consent
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
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:
Government of Andhra Pradesh
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Local residents
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?
