India will revisit n stations to upgrade safety: Official
March 18th, 2011 - 12:35 am ICT by IANSKalpakkam, March 17 (IANS) The Indian nuclear establishment is determined to upgrade the safety features of its nuclear power plants regardless of costs involved, said a top official Thursday.
Speaking to reporters here - around 60 km from Chennai - Chairman and Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd S.K. Jain said: “We will revisit all our nuclear plants and upgrade the safety features wherever needed even if it pinches our pocket.”
According to him the nuclear accident in Japan will not have any impact on India.
Jain said there are 85 radiation monitoring stations in India. If the wind blows towards India’s direction from Japan, which is around 5,500 km away, the radiation levels will be very minimal.
He said the Indian nuclear establishment is reviewing the safety features of its reactors from disasters elsewhere - like the Three Mile Island in the USA, Chernobyl disaster in Russia.
Jain said the Japanese nuclear accident was due to the tsunami and crippling of the standby diesel generators.
According to Baldev Raj, director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, the Indian spend on safety features has no parallel.
After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, a high protection wall has been built at an outlay of around Rs.40 crore, while the location of diesel generator has been raised to 12.6 metres from 10.68 metres.
He said the AERB issues licence to operate the reactors only for five years and after every fifth year it reviews the safety mechanisms before renewing it. He said three plants are under safety evaluation but did not give out any names.
- No increased radiation in India: atomic panel - Apr 12, 2011
- On Chernobyl anniversary, experts confident about nuclear energy - Apr 26, 2011
- Fukushima disaster can't be cited to stop Kudankulam: Scientist - Sep 21, 2011
- AERB to reassess safety measures at Indian nuclear power plants - Mar 15, 2011
- 'Kudankulam reactors are safe' - Mar 16, 2011
- India's atomic board to review safety at nuclear plants - Mar 15, 2011
- Japan attaches power cable to crippled nuke plant to stop radiation - Mar 19, 2011
- India's first fast-breeder reactor to cost Rs.5,677 crore - Apr 30, 2011
- One unit of Madras Atomic Power Station shut down - Jan 03, 2012
- Will federal auditor's report on nuclear watchdog open a Pandora's box? (Comment) - Aug 31, 2012
- N-safety bill tabled in Lok Sabha - Sep 07, 2011
- Madras Atomic Power Station restarts one unit - Jan 09, 2012
- Ukranian and Russian Presidents visit Chernobyl Cathedral on 25th anniversary of explosion - Apr 26, 2011
- Study needed before setting up new nuclear power parks: Scientist - May 01, 2011
- No screening of people coming from Japan: Regulator - Mar 28, 2011
Tags: atomic research, chernobyl disaster, diesel generator, india ltd, indian ocean tsunami, indira gandhi, indira gandhi centre, japanese nuclear accident, n stations, nuclear establishment, nuclear plants, nuclear power corporation, nuclear power plants, radiation levels, radiation monitoring, rs 40, s k jain, safety mechanisms, safety official, standby diesel generators