What is not so well known about NPCIL is the work it does to improve conditions in the villages around its project sites. In Kudankulam, NPCIL personnel interact with the people in the villages around the plant to find out their needs. Priority is accorded to the education and health needs of children. They have received vaccination for chickenpox and Hepatitis B, and there is to be a follow-up on this for 3,000 pupils in 15 schools in the neighbourhood from January 2010.
In education, NPCIL had provided infrastructure to various schools in the Kudankulam projects neighbourhood. It has adopted two schools one at Kudankulam and the other at Chettikulam. Recently NPCIL donated computers to the Government Higher Secondary School at Kudankulam. Earlier, it had provided funds for the construction of classrooms. We are committed to keep this effort on. In time to come, we will keep doing this every year, K.C. Purohit, Project Director, KKNPP, said.
There is a Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)-M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) Project, too, at Kudankulam, headed by Ravi K. Gupta, Senior Scientist, MSSRF. We have demonstrated the green belt ability of the area on a plot of 12.6 acres near the project site, said Gupta.
During his interactions with farmers from the nearby villages he tells them what kind of crops can be grown in about 100 days in their rain-starved areas. The soil in the fields has been tested and on that basis suggestions have been made. They have been given mutant seeds developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Said Gupta: The DAE-MSSRF project has introduced tall-growing fodder grass in the area. Our motto is to make the farmers master-trainers in managing their fields in dryland conditions.
T.S. Subramanian
