Communication gap resulted in failure to allay fears on Koodankulam nuke plant: Expert

Express News Service

Chennai:

Scientists are poor communicators and communication gap resulted in failure to allay people’s apprehensions about the Koodankulam nuclear plant, according to a nuclear expert.

Addressing a meeting organized by Chemical industries Association to discuss the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant Issues here on Saturday, former director projects Nuclear power Corporation of India and former vice-chairman of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board G R Srinivasan said people have genuine concerns and it is the duty of technical experts, government and policy makers to explain in a way they can understand.

Talking about the safety features in Koodankulam nuclear plant, he said the Russian reactors are safe and we have a Generation 3 plus design, which has a passive cooling system for 72 hours during an emergency.

He also admitted the cost of importing reactors is very high but at the same time added it is necessary to buy these reactors to master them before indigenously producing them which are cheaper. “India of 2011 is different from that of 1980 when we have to depend on foreign technology. Take the case of pressurized heavy water reactor, we imported it at a very high cost and now one can build a PWHR for just Rs 7 crore,” he said.

He also said Indian have to shed the inferiority complex. “We will be a major power in the nuclear sector and the world will source their nuclear components from us. But we always question our technology,” Srinivasan said.

B S Raghavan, former chief secretary of Tripura, said that fears about koodankulam are genuine and slammed arguments put forth by the nuclear establishment. “Nuclear industry should take into account the fear of people instead of dismissing it as motive. How could they can justify the reactorby claiming that they have spent billions of rupees. Is human life inferior to it,” he questioned.

“While they claim their safety is guaranteed, their own former AERB chairman questions the safety parameters,” he added.

Dr V Venugopal, former director radiochemistry and isotope group, Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai, said people should go in for authenticated information while adding that information flow never reaches the public. He said the nuclear energy is key for economic growth and strategic deterrence