India, Sept. 17 -- The picture-postcard coast in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district is set to become a nuclear power hub, with as many as four such plants proposed along the 167-km stretch. The plants, with a total installed capacity of 17,200 MW, will dot the coast from Dapoli in the north of the district to Jaitapur in the south.

Locals are worried that discharge from the plants will destroy the delicate marine ecology, impacting fishing. They also ask why as many as four plants have been planned in one single district, raising safety concerns as well.

However, intent on pushing ahead with its plans, the state government recently signed memorandums of understanding (MoUS) with four companies - Adani Power, Reliance Industries, JSW Energ...