Chennai: Joining the list of scientists
vouching for the safety of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power
Plant, former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman M R Srinivasan on Sunday said it was developed with advance technologies and the
stir against it was a result of "lack of communication".
"After the Fukushima accident in March this year, I
visited Koodankulam. I am totally satisfied with the safety
measures there. The situation (in Fukushima) and what was here
are completely different..", he told reporters here.
Noting that the country has spent around Rs 13,000 to Rs
14,000 crore on the Indo-Russian project, Srinivasan said if
the disturbance had not happened, Tamil Nadu would have got
950-MW out of the 2,000 MW power to be generated by the first
two units of KNPP.
He said the people of Tamil Nadu would get power at less
than Rs three per KW. "I am hoping that this interruption
would not be so dragged out as to disrupt the economies."
Srinivasan said KNPP was the "most advanced" of all the
reactors existing in India.
Responding to a query, he admitted that there was a
"communication gap" and "... we should have called people,
taken them around (plant)... much more should have been done."
The Indo-Russian joint venture in Tirunelveli district
has run into trouble following protests from locals demanding
scrapping of the project, citing safety concerns.
PTI
