Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday sought to allay fears over the vulnerability of nuclear power plants in India to natural disasters, stating the safety audit of the plants has found nothing adverse.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday sought to allay fears over the vulnerability of nuclear power plants in India to natural disasters, stating the safety audit of the plants has found nothing adverse.
However, the government has instructed all agencies concerned to conduct a fresh technical review of the plants, he said.
“The department of atomic energy and its agencies, including the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, have been asked to undertake a review of all safety systems of our nuclear plants, particularly with a view to ensuring that they would be able to withstand the impact of large natural disasters,” Singh said.
He was making a suo motu statement in both houses of Parliament.
In the aftermath of the disaster in Japan, civil society activists have upped the ante against nuclear power plants. India is the process of launching a number of such plants to meet its growing energy needs.
Exuding confidence over the safety standards, he said, ``Indian nuclear plants have stood the test in the past. After the Bhuj earthquake on January 26, 2002, the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station operated safely without interruptions. Similarly, after the 2004 tsunami, the Madras Atomic Power Station was safely shut down without any radiological leak.”
TAPS-I and TAPS- II, the atomic reactors at Tarapur, are the Boiling Water type and similar to those functional in Japan. A recent safety audit had found them to be fit, he said. ``The audit in respect of the remaining 18 reactors has been completed and there’s nothing adverse in it,’’ Singh added.
“The government is in constant touch with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Japanese Industrial Forum and the World Association of Nuclear Operators,” he said.
On the state of Indians living in Japan, Singh said most of the 25,000 Indians there do not live in the tsunami-affected areas. ``There are no reports of any casualty. About 70 of them are in shelters set up by the Japanese authorities,” he said.
He said India had offered all possible help to Japan. “We can never forget that India has been the largest recipient of Japan ‘s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). We have the best of relations with Japan,” Singh added.
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