An expert committee appointed by the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday submitted its report on the safety aspects of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNNP) to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, marking a crucial stage in the debate over the project. At the same time, the State government invited the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) representatives for talks on Wednesday.
“Let the government have a cool view of the report,” said M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and member of the experts committee, told reporters after submitting the report to Ms. Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat.
Though Dr. Srinivasan said it was inappropriate to say what the report contained and what it did not, he indicated that the four-member committee was fully satisfied with the KKNPP's safety aspect. Asked about the safety aspect, he said, “I have not taken back my words on the issue.”
On February 20, after visiting the nuclear plant and holding talks with PMANE representatives in Tirunelveli, Dr. Srinivasan had said the state-of-the-art safety features incorporated in the reactor had made it a ‘third generation plus' reactor.
S. Iniyan, Director of Centre for Energy Studies, Anna University, D. Arivuoli, Professor, Department of Physics, Anna University and former IAS office L.N. Vijayaraghavan are the other members on the committee.
To a question whether the committee had any time schedule for the government to act on its report, Dr Srinivasan said, “We don't want to suggest any timetable.”
As the State government has invited anti-KKNPP Struggle Committee for talks, its representatives S.P. Udayakumar, S. Sivasubramanian, M. Pushparayan and Dr. Ramesh from Coimbatore will meet the Chief Minister on Wednesday.
Legal notice
Meanwhile, Mr. Udayakumar has sent a legal notice to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for insinuating that the anti-Kudankulam protests were funded by United States and the Scandinavian non-government organisations.
Advocate M. Radhakrishnan, who sent the notice on behalf of Mr. Udayakumar, said the Prime Minister had made a “false statement with an intention to harm his client's reputation”.
“The statements amount to an imputation which directly, in the estimation of the members of the public, lowers the moral character of my client and also lowers the credit of my client,” he said and urged the Prime Minister of India to make amends in an appropriate manner.
Keywords: Kudankulam issue
@Michael Titus,K.V.Nagarajan,Kumar.TN does not have natural resources like coal,natural gas to produce power nor there are further potential to produce Hydro electric power.Generation of power from wind is seasonal and therefore not dependable.Technology to generate power from solar energy is now very expensive owing to high capital costs and requirement of vast areas to set up the solar panels.If nuclear power plants are so risky for the inhabitants living around then why only target Kudankulam nuclear plant. why not these so called anti nuke group start movements for closure of the commissioned plants like Kalpakkam, Kaiga,Kakrapar, Tarapore, Narora which are located in much more densely populated areas than kudankulam.NGOs mostly run by christian missionaries are behind this fake anti nuclear power protest.Why were they doling out cash to the villagers through churches around kudankulam to lure them to participate in the agitation.Why not many men folks present in the agitation?
Many villages around the area where I live do not have any waste disposal at all. The quack doctors throw the disposable syringes in open dumping yards and the village children carry it as a plaything and "imitate to give a injection" to friends. We throw the CFLs and florescent tube lights all around without any idea about mercury contamination of water bodies. There is no question of minimum hygienic living offered to the millions of masses. When poverty, disease, ignorance, contaminated water (but even that is inadequate), illicit liquor, and so many bad things are surrounding us the dangers of nuclear power plant is very minimal for the common people. At least we will have continuous electrical power supply.
@Michael Titus: You are free to hold on to your conviction about
Nuclear Energy.Also see the facts published in the websites of World-
nuclear News, International Atomic Energy Agency etc as you seem to
disbelieve India's Department of Atomic Energy's website.There are 440
operating Nuclear Reactors in the world today and their number is
going to increase considerably within a decade. All this will not be
possible if Nuclear Energy is considered unsafe.In spite of all the
opposition Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant will be commissioned and
operated.No one should underestimate the conviction of GOI and DAE.In
a democracy voice dissent will be given due importance but ultimately
it is the will and desire of the majority that will prevail.
till now there is no way of dumping the waste by-products of nuclear plant.there is no solid proof in any country that the waste are dumped properly and it is leakproof. there are many ways to produce the electricity. use wind, hydro power and produce the current.Leave healthy environment for our next generation human beings and for all living things on earth.
@B.Krishnakumar, Are you saying enriched uranium, plutonium, and scores of other unnatural isotopes are as safe as natural uranium? In this time and age don’t attempt to convince that nuclear industry is safe.
No country considers nuclear plant operation is without risks. No country has solution to spent fuel. US spend billions a year to protect the spent fuel. Russia and France wants to recycle the spent fuel. Reprocessing is the most dangerous of all. Do you consider these are all solutions to spent fuel management? If nuclear plants are safe why doesn’t the country develop a policy that every state must have one?
Renewable energy sources, efficient distribution, and cost-transfer to consumer are positive ways of resolving the energy crisis. These solutions will bring much needed industrial development.
I am really worried about the timeline of incidents. Japan's disaster happened in March 2011, Our protest began or at least came to limelight in October 2011. Though some can argue media did not focus. But still from tsunami which occurred in Dec2004 none bothered to question the safety of any plants then why now. For a developing country which has a billion people and several states relying on power for Agriculture, SMB, Education. One should have least weigh their analysis before blindly protesting.
@Michael Titus,K.V.Nagarajan-Are there stable geological locations
that could safely isolate nuclear waste from the biosphere? If you
doubt this, remember that trillions and trillions of litres of natural
gas have remained underground - in the same place - for many millions
of years. In comparison, the quantity of nuclear waste requiring
permanent storage is minuscule. And far from being a volatile gas or
liquid, it is a solid and stable ceramic.Nature had provided a good
example of nuclear waste 'storage'. About two billion years ago, in
what is now Gabon in Africa, a rich natural uranium deposit produced a
spontaneous series of large nuclear reactions. Since then, despite
thousands of centuries of tropical rain and subsurface water, the
long-lived 'waste' from those 'reactors' has migrated less than 10 meters. Nuclear wastes can be safely contained.
the protesting group are not interrested in solving the power crisis of the state but they blindly fear the project which is more adequately safe.
We should understand the sentiments of locales who are literally
fearing after Fukishima accident. At the same time, we need power
immediately as we are starving for it. KNPP is ready to operate with
all the safety features in it. Let the plant be allowed to generate
power. Meanwhile Government should plan for other renewable energy
sources to generate power and start working towards implementing the
projects immediately to balance the power generated by KNPP. Once We
have become self sufficient in generating power by other resources, we
can stop functioning KNPP like Germany.
In a democracy the voice dissent will be looked into but it is the
desire of majority that will prevail. This is applicable to Koodankulam
Nuclear Power Project. Quell the protests and pave the way for the
commissioning of KKNPP at the earliest.
This panel may consist of experts, but it has conflict of interest. Former Chair of the Atomic Energy Commission is not going to find any arguments against nuclear power and report it. If he does, he has to ask himself what he was doing being chair of Atomic Energy Commission. So, there is no creidibility to this panel. There is no such thing as nuclear safety. It is an inherently dangerous technology through its life cycle. Even if there is no accidnet while producing electricity, so far there is no safe way of disposing of nuclear wastes. Sooner of later, we will pay in terms of nuclear fallout. Basically, the current generation is putting the future generation in danger and they are not there to defend themslves. What we need is sustainable energy sources not growth at any cost.
CM Jayalalithaa has now on hand the report of the expert committee
appointed by the Tamil Nadu government on the safety aspects of the
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project.The four-member committee is reported
to be fully satisfied with the KKNPP's safety aspects. Expert Group
constituted by Government of India held meetings with the local people
and the various doubts/queries raised by the local people were not
only answered by the Expert Committee but also the Committee stated
that Koodankulam Atomic Power Station is safe.Now that both Central
and State Govt committee have vouched for the safety of the state of
the art third generation+ reactor, CM should have no further doubts on
the plant's safety aspects.TN can't adopt different yardstick for
assessing the safety of Mullaperiyar Dam and KKNPP.Fears of the people
are tutored and without any scientific basis.Anti-KKNPP Struggle
Committee must be bluntly told to pack up and leave the scene.Withdraw
Cabinet resolution immediately.
There is clear indication, that there is nothing wrong with the project and one hopes that the protesters will now realize the benefits of the project and enable the govtsband the Project administrators to move ahead , without any delay.
Accidents can happen anytime no matter how prepared we are, that is the very nature of accidents. That does not mean we need to abandon the technology or the vehicles we use.If that were the case we would all need to use bicycles or walk from place to place. Let us also not forget that nuclear power has served us well over the decades - Kalpakkam is a case in point in our very own backyard. What if Kalpakkam had to go under a tsunami? Chennai has not bothered about this for many years! Or would we rather picket all our existent nuclear plants and shut them down?!Needless to state Kudankulam is a state of the art reactor - that would greatly enhance power generation apart from boosting local development. We should focus instead on our power transmission losses, theft and dedicated utilisation of scarce power resources. Kudos to our scientists! Let us pray our nation is saved from the clutches of vested interests and we get our priorities right.
All of the above commentors who think dissent is causing an itching trouble in their day to day life. A nuclear mishap will permanently maim people with so called "atleast we will not have power cut mentality" along with others. Moreover, development is supposed to be inclusive, not based on shadow tactics and propaganda and "against" the wishes of the people to move forward using renewable sources of energy with a clean implementation policy.
Govt should have thought about all angles before coming up with the project instead of selectively giving excuses for their failure in hindsight.
Try to convince the people, give them reasons that are scientific. With Narayanaswamy-like attitude you are only alienating more people and making them doubtful of the true interests of this pro US, all nuke policy of UPA 2.
Accident or not, nuclear plant alters geography and changes course of life for people living nearby. Nuclear energy should be seen in association with radiation and spent fuel management. For others it may be electricity, but for about 1 lakh people, it is life and livelihood. Nuclear energy isn’t cheap and benefits never outweigh cost. CM has to keep in mind 10% of TN population lives in the southern three districts and the geography makes the southern tip more densely populated (1,106 / sq km) place. Atomic Energy Commission failed to consider the population factor. That is a grave mistake when comes to nuclear plant. May be 1970’s Russia’s VVER rector and Israel’s cooling technologies are superior. But no technology is immune to errors or mistakes. People certifying KNPP is safe do not stand to lose anything. But the local people stand to lose themselves and everything. If this expert panel truly believed KNPP is safe, they should said to the local people.
Trust deficit needs to be addressed. The people deserve authentic information about the safety features in place at the power plant. Fear psychosis need to curtailed. 'without nuclear power India cannot meet power need'sends fear among large sections of our society. There need to be a proper presentation of the power need analysis.
Similarly, many people are made to believe that 'all nuclear power plants are extremely risky to human & animal health...therefore, close down the plant'. The Govt must publish authentic information and make it accessible to the people, especially those in the neighborhood of the nuclear plant. Accusing each other must stop with apology. In trustable environment this conflict can be resolved.
Failures in Nuclear Reactors are a very big problem and civilizations residing within the harmful radius zone have every reason to be worried about. I would see this agitation more as a pressure to the Indian Government to ensure mutliple technical panels have reviewed the safety measures existing in the Nuclear Plant and it is only going to benifit than do any harmful effects other than delaying the commissioning of the reactor which is not as important as Saving Lives.Although India is a democratic Country, no damage to lives can ever be reversed. Proponents please go back and check what happened in Japan. When the danger comes it becomes beyond Human Cognizance and the government being mute spectators will not help and we will have panels submitting damage reports and I am not sure even our Nuclear Energy Minister will not take Moral responsibility and resign unlike how it was in Japan.Let the panels review and the security concern be clearly established. Its about life/death
Cut power to all protestors since they don't care if we really have power or not.
And also increase the prices for essential and other commodities for them which will eventually happen due extra burden on other fuel resources for power generation transportation etc.
Lets see what happens when rice becomes 100 Rs Kg would they still protest.
Nuclear power is the way to go. Why don't these people understand.
does this mean we would have electricity or protestors against the forward motion of india would continue to stall indias progress.
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