DiaNuke.org

‘Decisions on nuclear power have so far been taken by a small select group, primarily interested in profiteering from their actions, stating ‘secrecy’ as necessary from the national security point.’ ‘This argument is false, because we are dealing with the ‘civilian’ nuclear power sector, which is open even to the IAEA,’ says Dr A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

A vivid example on how not to ‘Make-in-India’ even a well-established foreign reactors is seen in the continuing problems the Kudankulam VVER reactor Unit-1 is experiencing.

The government has brushed aside opposition to the plant by arguing that because Rs 17,000 crore have already been spent on the reactor, it has to be commissioned so that the investment already made is not wasted. This is hardly an acceptable argument when the project in question is a nuclear power plant.

Dr. A Gopalakrishnan | It is most likely that the KKNPP cable system, as completed today, has not conformed to the norms and standards of cable selection, EMI shielding, or layout as per Russian, Indian or any other standards. No wonder the EMI problem is persisting, because there is no other short-cut solution other than re-doing a sizeable part of the I&C cabling and its layout in accordance with a set of modern standards, agreeable also to the Russians.