If Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu thinks that nuclear power plants are safe, he should establish them in and around Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, argues S.P. Uday Kumar, founder convenor of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which is protesting against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
In a telephonic interaction with The Hindu , he referred to the proposed shifting of two nuclear power plants from Gujarat and West Bengal to Andhra Pradesh, one at Kavali between Nellore and Prakasam and the other at Kovvada in Srikakulam district following public opposition at those two places, and expressed fears that “the government move would convert the AP into a potential nuclear disaster zone.”
“The second unit of the Kudankulam plant was shut down a month ago allegedly for mandatory tests. But inside information says there is some problem with the components and the unit can’t function till next six months. The first unit was also closed yesterday (Monday) night obviously due to some equipment issue. But they have not revealed any details. They are very opaque. This is the reason we insist on an independent regulatory authority,” he insisted.
Accusing the government of adopting a “recalcitrant attitude,” he said it did not care for people’s lives. “When the first two units are not working properly, it is reckless on the part of the government to go ahead with its plans to establish the third, fourth, fifth and sixth units,” he said.
‘DAE keeping people
in the dark’
He said there was “complete lack of transparency, accountability and democracy in the Department of Atomic Energy. The Governments of India and Russia have refused to release the liability agreement they signed in 2008. That’s a dangerous thing to do. They have neither shared any reports — of site evaluation, safety analysis and emergency preparedness — with the local public,” he maintained.
“Now the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister wants to generate 30,000 MWe power through nuclear power plants set up along the 1,000-km-long coastline and this is an area of major concern,” he said.
