New Delhi: In a reinforcement of nuclear
safety in India, all the atomic power plants have "passed" the
stress tests ordered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the
aftermath of the Fukushima accident.
"Indian reactors have passed the stress tests ordered
after Fukushima," Atomic Energy Commission(AEC) Chairman
Srikumar Banerjee told a group of reporters here today.
The stress tests, which are a combination of simulated
quake events on the design of a nuclear plant, were ordered by
Singh to address issues of safety of the country's atomic
plants in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident in
March.
Seeking to allay apprehensions on the Kudankulam nuclear
power project in Tamil Nadu, he said the Indo-Russian joint
venture was the safest unit of its type built anywhere in the
world.
"Kudankulam plant will be a showpiece for Russian
nuclear industry themselves. There is not a single VVER-type
nuclear reactor which has such an array of safety features,"
Banerjee said.
However, he admitted that the nuclear establishment did
goof up in reaching out to the locals at Kudankulam which was
one of the factors responsible for the current agitation.
"I can definitely admit that there were gaps in public
awareness. At the same time, I would like to say that the
whole event (agitation) is not just because of the gap,"
Banerjee said.
He said there were some "strong opportunists" that were
taking advantage of the situation.
"There are some opportunists who have taken advantage of
the situation. The strong anti-nuclear lobby got its big
strength because of the Fukushima event," Banerjee said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, October 17, 2011, 22:26