DiaNuke.org

My interest in fire safety was sparked years earlier, when I learned about the 1975 fire at the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Tennessee. That fire grew out of routine maintenance work on the buildings that housed the reactor. Despite their formidable size, the containment structures of many nuclear power plants, designed to corral dangerous radiation in the event of an accident, are punctured by vents and ducts. These penetration points are the weak spots that can undermine an otherwise airtight containment shell. A leak in one of these areas is a significant problem.

EAS Sarma | The government should take immediate steps to get the amended version of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority Bill enacted by the Parliament, get the Atomic Energy Act suitably amended to incorporate the concept of the “right to information”, adopt IAEA’s guidelines on emergency planning approach and ensure that the globally accepted safety norms are fully complied with at every nuclear installation in the country. To proceed ahead in the business-as-usual mode would expose the people to unimaginable harm. No additions should be permitted to nuclear power generation capacity, pending these measures being implemented.

The Fukushima accident in Japan in March 2011, led to dramatic course-corrections in various countries having nuclear power plants. India has merely carried out a cursory walk-through inspection of its plants and projects under construction and is still continuing on with an accelerated program to add on more large-scale nuclear units. This approach does not make any sense from the economic, safety, or social and environmental impact point of view. Therefore, it is essential that these plans are halted immediately and seriously re-evaluated with the participation of a wider set of non-governmental experts.

If 100 Nakkanery villagers are trained, how do millions of other people in the 16 km or 30 km radius and beyond get the necessary information and experience to face a nuclear disaster?