The Maharashtra Government will not go ahead with the plan for a nuclear power plant in Jaitapur until it is completely satisfied with the safety and security aspects of the project, the Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, told the State Assembly on Monday.

The statement comes against the backdrop of the earthquake and tsunami-triggered radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, that have forced a review of safety mechanisms at nuclear plants around the world.

Mr Chavan said that in view of major accidents at the Japanese nuclear reactors, additional precautions will have to be taken at Indian plants.

Referring to the long-term potential of nuclear power, he said that in the coming 40 years, other sources of energy for producing power such as coal and oil are likely to get exhausted. Therefore, alternative energy resources will have to be explored.

He said that the global warming phenomena is affecting earth's atmosphere and because of it, unusual weather phenomena are observed. The State Government has asked The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to prepare a State action plan for combating climate change.

Urbanisation

On the issue of urbanisation in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister said the process was very rapid and it was putting a lot of stress on the resources in the cities. The 2001 census numbers show that 42 per cent of the population of Maharashtra live in urban areas but the current number has to be about 50 per cent, he said.

Giving additional Floor Surface Index and Transfer and Development Rights is not a panacea for urban ills plaguing cities such as Mumbai. In future, especially for Mumbai, the land value would be computed based on competition and market price, he said.

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