You say "Why are we thinking about it at the 11th hour". But are we?? MMS said Indian plans to achieve 25% of our power needs through nukes.
Make no mistake. You know my stand.
Yes I know your stand...
I am not calling for a complete abstinence from nuclear power...a slow switch over.
Btw the grand hopes for nuclear power in India should be evaluated in the light of the history of the numerous pronouncements of DAE about the dominant role for atomic energy it envisioned and failed to deliver. Somewhere in 1970s for example it projected 43,500 MW of nuclear generating capacity by 2000 whereas what materialised was a mere 2,720 MW.
In the year 2010 the nuclear contribution to electricity generated in the country was a mere 2.8 per cent. And whatever little energy has been generated has been expensive. When viewed in the light of the ample financial and political support from successive governments the nuclear programme has been a failure.....
From what I know there're close to 1 million people who live within the 30 km radius of the Kundakulam NPP which far exceeds AERB stipulations. So it is quite impossible to evacuate this many people quickly and efficiently in case of a nuclear disaster at kundakulam..
Even when the Kunadkulam NPP projects function normally without any incidents and accidents they would be emitting Iodine 131, 132, 133, Cesium 134, 136, 137 isotopes, strontium, tritium, tellurium and other such radioactive particles into air, land, crops, cattle, sea, seafood and ground water.
Now you know why the ppl of kundakulam are protesting.
If there was really a “0% chance” of an accident, why would nuclear vendors work so hard to indemnify themselves? Atomstroyeksport, the vendor of the Kudankulam plant is protected by a special intergovernmental agreement which would prevent victims from suing it in the event of an accident. Why????
Companies like Westinghouse are holding back on reactor sales to India since the new liability law includes some very mild liability for suppliers....dont miss the word mild.
When nuclear companies are unwilling to stake their financial health on these claims of “100% safety" how can the government ask local residents to risk their lives???Arent the locals justified???
I am leaving aside the control rod insertion failures...and the catastrophe that might follow...And how India sided US and voted against Iran twice to get the grand pipeline project to a halt....just for Uranium.Its only recently that the discussions on it have begun again but unfortunately now we have a competitor... China.
