Lessons to be learnt from Japanese nuclear disaster

Former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Dr Anil Kakodkar, on Sunday said that in the backdrop of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, the design of the Jaitapur nuclear power plant (JNPP) being planned in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, should be strengthened.

Speaking to DNA on Sunday, the eminent scientist said that unlike Fukushima, the Jaitapur plant will be located at a considerable height above sea level. “India is in a less seismically active zone as compared to Japan. Therefore, the probability of massive earthquakes is pretty low. Yet, I would suggest that the plant be designed to withstand the worst scenario to prevent any repetition of the Fukushima disaster,” he said.

Kakodkar was reacting to the ongoing crisis at the ill-fated Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan after it was struck by a massive earthquake and flooded by the resultant tsunami on Friday. The cooling system of the plant malfunctioned due to flooding of the generators, which led to radiation leakage and subsequent evacuation of residents of the area.

Kakodkar pointed out the requirement for large quantity of water for cooling at a nuclear plant and sea being the largest water body, seaside makes an ideal location for such plants. He noted that India already has three nuclear plants in Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), Tarapur (Maharashtra) and Kakrapar (Gujarat) near the seaside.

“Kalpakkam was hit by the tsunami in December 2004, but the reactors were safe. In India, safety factor is always the top priority while designing a nuclear plant,” he said. However, Kakodkar warned against being complacent and called for learning from the tragedy in Japan.

“In the nuclear industry, we share our experiences to improve our designs and increase our safety standards. The Fukushima incident should be analysed in detail by Indian nuclear engineers to better the designs of the Jaitapur plant. As per my information, the process has started,” he said.

Dr A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, stressed on adoption of maximum safety standards while designing nuclear plants in India. “The chances of a tsunami hitting Jaitapur are relatively less. Jaitapur comes under a relatively seismically less active zone, so the chances of a major earthquake is low,” he said.