Amid fears of a meltdown at two nuclear reactors in Japan, the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) has demanded a moratorium on all further civilian nuclear activities in India.
Amid fears of a meltdown at two nuclear reactors in Japan, the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) has demanded a moratorium on all further civilian nuclear activities in India.
The CNPD especially wants Jairam Ramesh, minister of environment and forests, to withdraw the environmental clearance for the Jaitapur nuclear power plant project. The body wants India’s nuclear power policy radically reviewed for safety, viability, appropriateness and costs.
Praful Bidwai of the CNDP is stunned that the Centre and the state government have maintained a studied silence on the issue.
“People are seeing what’s happening, and are worried and scared. This is not an era when the government can black out what it finds inconvenient,” Bidwai told DNA. “If the chief minister and his cabinet colleague can talk tough to support the (Jaitapur) project, why are they silent now?”
He also pooh-poohed those who thought a mere review and transparent re-audit of the Jaitapur project was enough. “The Japanese too did an audit in Fukushima in December and that didn’t help,” Bidwai pointed out.
Activist Vivek Monterio wondered how long people like Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, will stick to their stand. “He and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited should tell us if they can still guarantee the safety of the locals around Jaitapur. I hope Kakodkar addresses these issues in his lecture on nuclear energy for the MLAs and MLCs on Monday,” Monterio said.
Bidwai recounted how the Russians were in denial after the Three Mile Island meltdown in the US in 1979.
“After the Chernobyl disaster, which claimed 110,000 lives, Japan was in denial too. But see what transpired. That’s why we are emphasising that the nuclear regime in this country must come out of denial and address safety issues,” Bidwai said.
“The toll from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant is likely to be high. The earthquake shut down three functioning reactors and removed the power that kept vital water pumps running, sending cool water around the hot core,” Bidwai explained.
“This underlines that nuclear power is expensive, unacceptable hazardous and generates unsafe waste, which does not go anywhere for thousands of years.”
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