Nuclear power is vital for India, and the government needs to be more transparent in presenting the attendant risks, while explaining that Kudankulam’s safety features are superior to those of Fukushima.

The recent accident in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors has ignited a fierce debate about the future of nuclear power. Belgium and Germany have decided to phase out nuclear power. Back home, construction of the Kudankulam nuclear plant has come to a grinding halt following determined protests by residents of surrounding villages. The debate about nuclear power is not new; however, the focus has changed. Till recently, the commonly expressed concerns were: “economics, safety, proliferation and waste disposal”. Now, it is “safety, safety, and safety”. The key question is: “Is the engineering design robust enough to withstand a major accident caused either by human error or natural disaster?”

There is no doubt that given recent events, the public concerns of safety are genuine, especially those of people living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants.The common public perception is that the consequences of a nuclear accident in Kudankulam would be similar to that of Chernobyl or Fukushima. This is not surprising, given the severity of destruction caused by these accidents. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on its part has tried its best to explain that the reactors are safe; however, people are not convinced.

For further details please refere the attached atrticle published on 20 Nov 2011 in Business Standard...