Kudankulam: Central panel deliberates in detail
November 16th, 2011 - 6:08 pm ICT by IANSChennai, Nov 16 (IANS) The multi-disciplinary experts committee set up by the central government to interact with officials of the Tamil Nadu government and representatives of the anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) movement held intensive deliberations Wednesday, officials said.
“The deliberations are intense with the committee members asking probing questions from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) officials about the safety of the Russian reactors installed there,” an official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
It is learnt that one of the members of the experts committee, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) S.K. Sharma, raised pertinent questions to elucidate information from NPCIL officials about the reactors.
Sharma has visited several nuclear reactors overseas.
Members of the experts panel have divided themselves into small teams based on their area of expertise.
India’s nuclear power plant operator NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors with Russian technology and equipment in Kudankulam, around 650 km from here.
The first unit is scheduled to go on stream in December. The project is estimated to cost around Rs.13,160 crore (over $2.5 billion).
Villagers fear for their lives and safety in case of any nuclear accident and the long-term impact it would have on the population.
Their agitation has put a stop to the project work, thereby delaying the commissioning of the first unit by several months.
In order to allay the fears of the public, the central and the state governments have formed two separate committees.
The second meeting of the two committees is slated Friday.
The first meeting between the two panels took place Nov 8 when members representing the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) that is spearheading the anti-KNPP struggle submitted a list of questions and also asked for copies of the inter-governmental agreement signed between India and Russia and a white paper on the project.
The experts panel will also be visiting Kudankulam Thursday before finalising its report and the answers to the questions.
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- Anti-nuclear stand is not anti-national: Activist - Nov 17, 2011
- Kudankulam n-plant a step closer to going on stream - May 12, 2012
- Kudankulam row: Expert panels to meet Tuesday - Nov 07, 2011
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- Removal of dummy fuel assemblies begins at Kudankulam - May 25, 2012
- Answers being prepared about Kudankulam n-plant - Nov 10, 2011
- Kudankulam row: Officials expect early resolution - Feb 11, 2012
- Kudankulam protesters assaulted, talks cancelled (Second Lead) - Jan 31, 2012
- Central panel on Kudankulam to meet in three weeks - Dec 03, 2011
Tags: atomic energy regulatory board, experts committee, governmental agreement, india ltd, npcil, nuclear accident, nuclear power corporation, nuclear power plant, nuclear power project, nuclear power reactors, nuclear reactors, overseas members, pertinent questions, power plant operator, probing questions, russian reactors, russian technology, s k sharma, state governments, tamil nadu government