The water used to cool the Rawatbhata reactor was pumped back into Chambal river. Before and during my pregnancy, I drank the tap water supplied to us from the same river. I didn't go even so far as to boil this water. Nothing went wrong.
Kudankulam has been in the news and how! Little did I imagine in 2002 that this remote area of southern Tamil Nadu where there are more ant-hills and dry winds than paddy fields and winding rivers would capture the public imagination for all the wrong reasons!
When we first came to reside here, the township in Chettikulam was being built at a feverish pace. My daughter was just two and we were allotted a ground-floor apartment. There were no trees or plants in the neighbourhood. Snakes, scorpions and centipedes sniggered at our discomfort. The water we received came from a borewell some 10 km away. Sometimes, the trucks ferrying water came late at night and even those who'd been toiling endlessly at the plant site had to wait to take their shower. Rice cooked in this water had a yellow tinge. But what tormented us the most were the heaps of dust that piled up inside our homes each time the strong eastern winds blew. It was not enough to mop and clean the house just once each day. In desperation, we boarded up all our windows. Whenever we longed to see the blue sky or gulp fresh air, we quietly stepped outdoors. My daughter was constantly ill and the searing heat added to her woes.
Gradually, things started falling in place. An RO (reverse osmosis) plant was set up. Seawater was converted into water fit for drinking. Trees were planted and within the next few years, we saw the transformation before our very eyes. The winds hardly overburdened our homes with dust. This rain shadow area soon started to get more showers and flowers and fruits began to grow in abundance. No man's land was no longer a wasteland.
Then the world watched Fukushima, and the clouds of mistrust rapidly spread to these shores. Today, nuclear-power-bashing has become the rage. Fishermen fear for their lives. Emissaries emerge from the woodwork and move blatantly from village to village, whipping up a campaign against nuclear power. Some of their antics clearly defy logic.
They have taken the law into their own hands. They “can” block the roads and prevent sincere Central government employees from discharging their duties. I open an NCERT Civics Reader. It reminds me in no uncertain terms that we are a country that's federal in form and unitary in spirit. The complexities of Centre-State relationships leave me spell-bound.
Our domestic helpers speak of these events in hush-hush tones. They ask me whether the house I live in will be erased after we have been hounded out of the township!
In the bustling town of Nagercoil, about 45 minutes away, shopkeepers run diesel generators to overcome the unbearable power cuts. Small industries find it difficult to stay afloat. Thousands of workers face the risk of unemployment. There are more carbon emitting vehicles on the roads than ever before. Pollution levels are touching an unbearable high. The vegetable market tries to lure customers with gooseberries as big as tomatoes. Bananas, carrots, aubergines and even shallots have never looked more big and beautiful. Insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers have increased crop outputs. There are more people suffering from cancer than the Regional Cancer Centre can handle.
But that's fine. There's more danger in a nuclear power plant. Everyone talks about Hiroshima and Fukushima. Somewhere a nuclear bomb and the fallout from an old reactor have fused to make a clean, green source of energy a larger-than-life monstrosity. For those who live here, these changes evoke mixed emotions. True, everyone has a right to question the safety of these reactors. But let us take a few moments to turn the pages of history. India set up its first atomic power plant in the 1950s. Till date, nuclear power operators have, by and large, maintained the highest safety standards imaginable.
Between 1994 and 1999, I lived at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan. Reactor 2 on the bank of the river Chambal was still generating power. The water used to cool the reactor was pumped back into the river. Before and during my pregnancy, I drank the tap water supplied to us from the same river. I didn't go even so far as to boil this water. Nothing went wrong.
My appeal to all my countrymen is to trust our technocrats. We, the families of the personnel who work in these reactors, treasure our lives as much as you do. Our children study in the school within the township. We try to teach them to value science, not to denounce it. They are not frogs in a well. They know that in order to progress, man must be willing to explore the frontiers of the unknown. Be vigilant but do not panic. The growth of a nation depends on its people.
(The writer is a freelance journalist and her email ID is susandavis.c@gmail.com)
Keywords: Kudankulam Nuclear Plant, Kudankulam, nuclear energy, nuclear safety, alternative energy, disaster management, emergency planning, nuclear disaster, KKNPP
Some facts related to the Fukushima event
• Radioactive cesium exceeded the safety standard in tea leaves from Shizuoka Prefecture, more than 300 km from the Fukushima plant. High levels of radioactive cesium were detected in condos built last July in Fukushima Prefecture. The crushed stones in the concrete mined locally were radioactive.
• An independent French lab, tested children living 220 km from Fukushima Daiichi and found that 77% of them had cesium 134 and cesium 137 in their tissues, probably from food.
• The Japanese people are opposing the nuclear industry at a local level. Every time a nuclear power plant shuts down for scheduled maintenance, people in the the area come out against restarting it. Thus, of Japan’s 54 reactors, only two are still generating electricity. And both are scheduled to be off line by April.
Anyone volunteering for a nuclear plant in their backyard - or only just 300 Km away?
Learn the facts before rooting for atomic power!
@vidya and Venkatesan. I got my info about increase in cancer etc from
reliable sources in the net. You two are stuck in the outdated mode of thinking which will not sync with young high tech savvy young people of today. Clunky outdated dangerous nuclear reactors are the old fashioned typewriters of yesterday! Like Ipad, today we have innovations where homes and offices can be powered by nano-electricity using graphite incorporated into a small transparent carbon square filter which can heat or cool a room and if it generates extra electricity, this can be beamed to a neighboring office that does not receive sunlight. The grid of tomorrow is NO GRID as millions of people will have the tech. to create their own electricity and sell it to national grids which will cover the areas and populations unable to generate electricity. France has cancelled all new nuclear plants and Britain is full into tidal and hydro power. Dams destroy a village temporarily but deadly nuclear destroys FOREVER.
Let us understand first that we have no coal, oil or gas reserves, no
hydro power to be seriously exploited to meet the acute shortage of
power in Tamil Nadu and the country as a whole. We cannot escape
nuclear power as a source of bulk power to meet the country's power
needs. And nuclear power is now as safe as anything can be, as many
readers have remarked. USA can afford to shut down nuclear reactors
because they have abundant resources of oil and natural gas, etc.
France meets 70% of its power from nuclear generation. And they have
no problems with that. I met an activist who could not stay out of
air-conditioned comfort, but is not bothered about where the power
will come from.
@Angela, You're back again with your 'hoax posts' with host of canards! Can you please name the Doctors and any authorised reports which have published the alleged cancer and instances of miscarriages near Rawatbhata. It's a white lie! Isolated instances of cancer or miscarriages occur everywhere in our country and you do not need Nuclear plants to induce that. Whom should we believe, from somebody who's lived near Ravathbhata or somebody, who knows only to spread venomous canards against nuclear India. C'mon ma'am, you cannot simply bluff all along!
You are concerned about the Rawatbhata dam, thanks for your concern, but why are you silent on hundreds of dams in India which have survived past their design life? What would happen if any of these dams burst ? Just because there's a dame near nuclear plant, you cannot assume and profess that, it will burst one or other day. It's high time, you stop your perennial dooms-day sooth saying and accept what's good for our country!
Susan was a lucky one. Doctors in this region have published reports
how cancer and miscarriages have risen considerably since the
Rawatbhata plant has been commissioned. The dam nearby is a big
concern for if it bursts we will have a Fukushima situation where
there will be no mega amounts of seawater to cool the reactors but
river water from the dam will have to be used and then being highly
radio-active will have to be collected in large metal containers for
years. It is foolishness for the government to go ahead with more new
nuclear plants in this desert type region when nuclear plants have
depleted all of France's river sources and France has had to shut down
17 of it's nuclear plants and BUY electricity from Solar powered
Germany! With today's technology electricity can be generated from
individual rooftops and the extra can be sold to a central grid for
those who have no access to the sun. This would eliminate the need for
large nuclear nightmarish projects in people's backyards
I too agree with Susan and others. People dont understand the real possibilities of failure. Failure happens everywhere, why ppl are starting to focus more on the failure on nuclear power plants, what abt the failure to curb CO2 emission? havent we seen more movies and documentaries in our daily life - why no one is protesting for that?, what abt the failure of Petrochemical industry? do you know how bad it is for a community living around it? What abt the failure to protecting landscapes used for dumping ash from thermal power plant?... we are in 21st century looking beyond the scientific theories once we read in our books. Everything is possible. Countless Research are being carried out abt this plants and the recycle of fuel to the extant possible.
I do feel the pain of susan, when ppl talk a lot abt nuclear power plant. i was born and brought in one of the DAE township. I dont feel anything bad. I am great, my family is doing great.
Kudos for speaking out the reality, which is 100% Truth! Ultimately, TRUTH WILL PREVAIL over false propaganda. The write up should serve as an eye-opener not just to the warring neighbourers of Kudankulam and Idinthakarai village, but also to those academics and intellectuals, who have been instigating and poisioning the minds local populace in the name of saving the environment. On the contray, let's embrace Nuclear and save our mother earth!
I too agree with you Susan. Lot of lawlessness is taking place in the name of democracy. A group of misguided persons can hold the smooth functioning of developmental projects at ransom.These days it has become a fashion to oppose any developmental project in the name of either environment or the popular sentiment of local people. It is easy to take up national issues in masses because there is no individual responsibility. People are very casual about their personal safety. Not many wear their seat belts or helmets. Opposing something is easy. Some groups might decide to take up the cause of marine life and oppose fishing!!! Ridiculous!!
May be safe. But not that so much when we have to live with a ATOMic
power. May be there is danger everywhere but this danger is heavy to
heavy when in danger say, earth-quake, tsunami, foreign attack and
terrorists. So why you opt for it when we can explore alternatives. No
one will purchase a beautiful picture with the money from selling his
own eyes. We fear danger any time to our lives and likelihoods
NUCLEAR ENERGY HAS IS CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THIS ULTIMATE TEST. The
people producing it are there in the reactor all the time 24X7.Their families are there all the time during poignancy,infants,and
thereafter.
I was also there at Rawatbhata and went through these family cycle.
Not only during their service life, people are living even after their retirement.
As per my analysis, NUCLEAR ENERGY IS NOT RISKY AT ALL.
In fact Nuclear Energy is reducing existing risks by providing
electricity for managing the RISK. As per the dada on internet, the
risk of life is lesser in the Nuclear powered countries.
NUCLEAR IS NEW CLEAR ENERGY-GO FOR IT.
It is frustrating to see the poor people taken for granted and filled
with fear of unknown and those who fear to live near by ,let the
government provide some shelter far away from the plant.The people
behind this agitation has to be removed from that place and let them
go to the stone age and live there.
This country need the nuclear energy and also POWER to defend our
lives from constant threat from enemy countries around us.
We support our country to progress in all scientific activities.
Give jobs in the plant for all the people and they will accept .
Excellent article. Everyday thousands consume govt supplied alcohol
and die following road accidents. But nobody asks for prohibition,
only responsible consumption. You could very well be walking on the
road, slip on a peel and land up with fractures. But nobody therefore
sits frightened in the house. Nuclear energy has its risks but so also
advantages. Those social activists who are misguiding people should
realise the folly that they are committing. Is it ok if a dam is built
in someone else's backyard or a coal plant set up some where else but
not in our own backyard.
"There are more people suffering from cancer than the Regional Cancer Centre can handle. My appeal to all my countrymen is to trust our technocrats" -Susan
Perhaps the cancer rates in Kanyakumari district have something to do with the higher intensity of natural background radiation there. A possibility ? You know Science is full of uncertainties, especially when it comes to practical matters.
So why not use the caution principle ? And say we don't know with mathematical precision whether nuclear plants cause cancers ? Is that not the true Scientific approach ?
Why do you think the insurance companies do not trust the safety claims made by the scientists ? Perhaps you should convince the insurance companies first to give everyone in Tamil Nadu blanket, unlimited insurance in case of a disaster at Koodankulam. Then, maybe we the ordinary people will begin to take the claims of scientists seriously.
Let us first educate the insurance companies.
The write up by Ms.Susan Davis lacks the facts which made her to convince herself that Nuclear Power plants are safe.She had exhaustively explained how the area housing them transformed from a dust bowl to a condusive neighbourhood.This is the case with all Chemical,frtiliser,Heavy water Plants,Steel Plants and the adjoining residential townships emerge from dust to best concrete quarters.That does not vouch for the safety of activity going inside the plant premises.She talks that they were drinking the water of the river Chambel, into which the cooling water from the plant had been let in,without having any health problems.I would like to tell her that no nuclear ezpert in this world has so far come out with a safe and sound disposal of highly radio active waste generated from the nuclear power plants.The half life of the radio active material,U-238 runs into tens of thousands of years and we have to guard the material from causing any harm.The cost will be beyond our means.
The issue is purely politically motivated. I urge the political
parties to work for their country not for their own benefit. The fears
of the local population was already cleared by central as well as
state expert committee. We don't find any reason to hold up this
prestigious project for any longer. Around 20000 crore money on this
project is already pumped in. The plant will give prosperity to
Tamilnadu as well as our country. Lets work and think for the nation
and not for our own issues.
At last thanks to Susan who had narrated the true story about the
local area.
Susan:
Well said....I lived and worked in Rawatbhatta in 1987-88.. There
are risks everywhere, even when you walk. If you walk in the middle
of the road there is danger. If you are on the footpath, it is
relatively safe. And we walk all the time.. And when we fly...if
the planes are poorly maintained, the pilots are not trained there
is danger...but we fly all the time...
Nuclear power is the answer to clean energy and a better living. We
have learned to harness it. The Indian scientists have built the
plants which were abandoned by the Canadians once upon a time. Our
safety record is fantastic.
Thank you for standing up to nuclear power
I believe that most of us - pro-nuclear- are viewing only superficially. Can Susan give us what will they do with the nuclear waste and the heavy water that is being discharged into the seas? Why is that in the U.S no nuclear power plant has been opened in the last 30 years. Why is that the government appointed "nuclear scientists" refuse to talk to the protestors and answer their questions? Do you know that recently an inactive volcano has been found in the sea? The tall claims of the nuclear lobbyists that nuclear energy is clean,cheap and safer runs contrary to their contributions. So far nuclear energy has added only 2% to our national power grid despite repeated lies by the Atomic Energy Commission and NPCC that in 1970's nuclear energy will rise to 10%. Instead of facing with facts and data, the government is trying all its best with threats, coercive attempts against the protestors. Why can't Susan or Manmohan Singh build a nuclear reactor in their backyard?
Well I agree with both of you and I would like to add that not only NPCIL or DAE(Department Of Atomic Energy) most countries are taking each and every step in order to safeguard the people from the possible risks of nuclear power plants and to make nuclear energy safe. It is in our hands to support them and reduce the time taken to complete the development or to be in a position from where we can only criticise them. Yes there is a possibility of accidents, but we can not deny the fact that we learn from our mistakes and accidents may provide an opportunity to improve and correct ourselves. Not every accident is big and fatal on a large scale. It is time to trust the agencies for nuclear research and to contribute our best in the development and promotion of an advanced technology which is safe and capable of surviving in future.
I completely agree with you Susan. There is an unrest in the people with no basis or understanding of the technology. More frustrating is to see educated social activists fighting for the issue just for the sake of it, without being flexible. Yes, Nuclear energy is risky, but lesser than your walking on the road, or a woman working in the kitchen. If you're not ready to take these risks, your bad! With respect to radiation, nuclear power plants add 0.001% radiation in atmosphere, which means they impact you in nothing!! NPCIL is doing a great job in the country, people need to educate themselves, before making an opinion!
Please Email the Editor