BARC has secured in-principle approval from the Expert Appraisal Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to divert 148.15 hectares of forest land for a sprawling 3,000-acre research and development campus in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, strategically located near Visakhapatnam between the project site and the sea.
Over 1,200 hectares of revenue land is already in hand, with initial infrastructure like compound walls, security fencing, patrolling roads, pump houses, watchtowers, drains, and service lines set to kick off soon, fuelling advancements in nuclear research for energy security, healthcare, agriculture, water management, and other vital sectors.
Officials affirm that felling just 1,722 out of 21,244 trees sparing those nearer the coastline will preserve the ecosystem, with strict bans on future non-site-specific land use to protect biodiversity.
Central and state governments hail it as a boon for regional jobs and scientific growth, while environmental watchdogs and local communities await fuller transparency on the confidential project report as final clearances and construction timelines take shape.
Strategic Infrastructure Amid Coastal Sensitivities
The campus’s east coast positioning stems from recommendations by a dedicated Site Selection Committee, ratified by the Atomic Energy Commission, highlighting its role in high-security nuclear endeavours.
Beyond basic site works, the facility will house cutting-edge labs and infrastructure tailored for nuclear applications, promising ripple effects across India’s development landscape from powering sustainable energy grids to pioneering medical isotopes and crop-enhancing isotopes.
An official appraisal note captures the vision succinctly: “This centre will contribute to nation-building by conducting research in the nuclear field with applications in energy security, health, agriculture, water, and other strategic areas as mandated by the Centre.”
With Andhra Pradesh emerging as a defence and aerospace hotspot, state leaders view the project as a catalyst for economic upliftment, potentially creating thousands of skilled jobs and positioning Anakapalli as a nucleus for innovation on the eastern seaboard.
National Nuclear Push and Ecological Guardrails
This initiative builds on BARC’s storied legacy as India’s nuclear research vanguard, now amplified by the Union government’s drive for indigenous technologies like the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor, a 55 MWe compact unit, and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors for green hydrogen production.
The forest diversion proposal, detailed in committee minutes from mid-December 2025, meticulously addresses ecological risks: no tree felling near the sea, compensatory afforestation elsewhere, and prohibitions on repurposing the land for unrelated activities post-diversion.
Reports indicate the site’s proximity to the coastline necessitated these measures, ensuring minimal disruption to marine habitats and local flora amid Andhra’s vulnerable eastern ecology.
Paralleling this, state advocacy has framed the campus within broader ambitions to make the region a hub for strategic industries, blending atomic research with aerospace and defence corridors for holistic growth.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
BARC’s Anakapalli campus holds transformative promise, potentially revolutionising access to reliable energy, life-saving diagnostics, resilient farming, and water solutions that could touch millions of lives across India’s diverse landscapes.
Yet, its legacy will hinge on weaving scientific ambition with unwavering ecological stewardship and community inclusion, turning potential trade-offs into models of symbiotic progress.
At The Logical Indian, rooted in values of peace, dialogue, kindness, empathy, harmony, and coexistence, we call for authorities to prioritise open forums where locals, scientists, and environmental voices co-create safeguards releasing redacted project insights, funding robust biodiversity monitoring, and ring-fencing coastal ecosystems as sacred trusts.
