The Centre on Wednesday said at least 10 nuclear-powered foreign military vessels have visited various Indian ports in the past seven years.
Says 10 foreign military vessels visited India in the past seven years
NEW DELHI: Defending its decision to allow the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, to anchor in Chennai next month, the Centre on Wednesday said at least 10 nuclear-powered foreign military vessels have visited various Indian ports in the past seven years.
The ministry of defence pointed out that the “Indian navy has operated INS Chakra, a nuclear powered submarine, from 1988 to 1991”. Chakra was a Russian nuclear submarine on lease with the Navy.
The government also claimed that elaborate steps had been to safeguard against all possible nuclear hazards.
“This is not the first visit by a nuclear-powered ship. Such ships and submarines from France, United Kingdom and United States have visited Indian ports. Notable among them was French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle that had called at Goa in April 2004 and again in April 2006,” the ministry said.
With a displacement of about 95,000 tonnes, Nimitz is among the biggest naval ship ever built and symbolises America’s global military reach. It will be anchoring off Chennai during its scheduled port call from July 1 to 5.
The ministry pointed out that the process of “clearing a harbour for berthing of nuclear vessels evolved when INS Chakra was inducted into the Indian Navy.” This includes survey by an Environmental Survey Committee (ESC) constituted by the Scientific Advisor to the defence minister.
“A Radiation Safety Contingency Plan was implemented prior to berthing of INS Chakra,” the ministry statement said. The plan is being put in place under a Crisis Management Group and Crisis Management Cell.
The ministry officials said the ESC has carried out a survey at Chennai for possible radiation hazards and cleared the visit of USS Nimitz. A radiation monitoring protocol is in place “which will monitor and analyse air and water samples”, said the government.
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