The recently released report of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission provides official confirmation of what has been common knowledge since the March 11, 2011 disaster: that the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) cared little for safety right from the point of choosing sites for its nuclear plants to operating them, and that it shared a murky relationship with Japan’s regulators. The commission was constituted last December by the National Diet of Japan. The Daiichi nuclear power plant accident is “clearly manmade” and a disaster that was “made in Japan,” the report states. It resulted due to the “collusion between the government, the regulators and TEPCO.” These observations fly in the face of TEPCO that blamed the unprecedented 9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent killer tsunami for causing the nuclear disaster. While the committee does admit that the natural disasters were the “direct causes of the accident,” it insists that the accident was “manmade.” The reason — the accident could have been avoided if the regulators and the operator, who were fully aware of the risks, had put in place the necessary safety measures. For instance, they were fully aware, as early as 2006, of the possibility of total power blackout in the event of a tsunami reaching the level of the site. They also knew the risk of a tsunami killing the seawater pumps and the ensuing risk of reactor core damage. Shockingly, instead of insisting TEPCO safeguard the plant, the regulators did not want the operator to “consider a possible station blackout.” Similarly, despite the nearly 40-year-old plant not being built to withstand a 9-magnitude quake and killer tsunami, no proper structural reinforcements were added by the operator to increase the anti-seismic safety of units 1, 2 and 3.
The report has brought to the fore the problems of private companies operating nuclear plants. For instance, it found ample evidence of a mindset that “prioritised benefits to the organisation at the expense of the public.” This should be reason enough for India to stick to its current stand and desist from allowing private operators. The main reason why the regulators failed in their duty can be traced to conflicts of interest — the regulators are a part of the ministry that actively promotes nuclear energy. Japan’s nuclear industry has apparently refused to learn some critical lessons from the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. What resulted was Fukushima. Nuclear operators and regulators around the world — India included — must now ensure the lessons of the latest catastrophe are internalised and acted upon.
A timely editorial which should open the eyes of everyone to the risk involved in the multiple participation in a highly sensitive project as the Atomic power and companies should be kept at a safe distance away from such projects. In the light of the Fukishima disaster it is high time that we give a rethinking on the advisability or otherwise of continuing with the plan for expansion of the projects. In spite of all the assurances given by the Atomic Scientists about the safety aspects in running the Plant there is always an undercurrent of risk factor which cannot be brushed aside lightly. This may be due to one of the causes such as natural calamities like tsnaumi human error or some technical fault which may come to notice some time when the plant is in operation.If God forbid there happens a disaster on account of any one of these reasons it is beyond one's imagination to comprehend the loss of lives, property,diseases due to radiation and migration of population to safer area.
I don't agree that total responsibility for the hazard belonged to the company. Government share equally this weight. There were proper norms for safety and earthquakes. Regular checks should have been made on Govt. part and if they weren't having enough safety measures then it should have been the Government who should have ordered to shut down the power station.
Private sectors have many advantages they give you service at a competitive rate and better service. This is true at least for India.
In India where the Electricity board officials themselves don't have enough qualification or management to do work tidily enough along-with proper safety measures should not be given big responsibilities like Nuclear Power plant.
It is indeed painful to understand that the Japanese regulators did not consider the warnings issued by the committee on safety issues. It is lesson to all the states who wish to utilize nuclear energy for generating power. I personally feel that India has a dearth of power supply and that this shortage can definitely be overcome by Nuclear energy. However, India should consider the safety aspects, neglected in Japan, while proliferating it's ambitious nuclear expansion.
This report lucidly explains the reason why sensitive issues like nuclear energy cannot be left to profit driven sectors. The collusion, starting with privatization, had put safety of the people of Japan behind. No doubt, nuclear energy is instrumental in building a country's economy, but doing so on the cost of its own people does not create much sense to me.
This is a very timely evaluation and points out the dangerous collusion that happened in one of the world’s most highly performing and hardworking country which has been world’s second largest economy for decades. At this juncture of technological evolution, it should be noted that Germany closed 8 of its atomic power plants in 2011, and will close the rest by 2022. This German decision is a turning point in history; many years preceding this, the opinion and arguments were that Germany cannot fulfil its needs without atomic power. In May 2012, Germany generated 22 Gigawatts of solar electricity, equal to that of 20 atomic power plants. If Germany, which does not have a very sunny climate and did not install so many large scale solar farms, can achieve this, India can certainly fulfil its electric power requirements from solar power plants alone. It should also be noted that India has the highest population density among large countries and world’s second largest population.
This report gives us some lession ,firstly nuclear energy is a critical issue and it should be handled with care.secondly private company think about profit even at the expense of the public.Last but not the least,Regulators may have some weak point.So i think nuclear plant should be run by the government
It is a timely warning to nuclear industry regulators. I,however,of am afraid the
regulatory implementation records of various industries, particularly the polluting
industries in India. All our rivers and other water bodies have been converted into
sewerages. What is left is the waiting nuclear accidents that can devastate the
population around nuclear power stations, given the lax implementation of rules and
regulations and the related greed and corruption in our public institutions.
Nuclear power plants in India are designed, constructed and owned by Central government
departments and companies, the regulator is the Central government and the customers are
power-starved State governments. This is a situation made to order for dangerous collusion
by vested interests which may lead to happenings as in Japan reported in the editorial. It is
time that the opinion makers educated the people of this country about the dangers. Hope
that it has begun with this editorial.
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