Disaster in Japan won’t hit Jaitapur, says DAE

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) on Monday clarified at a press conference that the Japan’s nuclear tragedy will not have any adverse effects on India’s nuclear programme and all the ongoing and proposed nuclear plants, including 9,900 mwJaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP).

‘’The explosion which took place at Fukushima nuclear power plant was the chemical explosion and not a nuclear one, as the hydrogen generated in the corrosion process comes in contact with oxygen forming the explosive exothermuc reaction,’’ said DAE secretary Srikumar Banerjee.

The officer said that all the nuclear reactors in India are capable of handling worst of natural disasters, like the one experienced in Japan.

‘’We have a system where all the safety measures are being reviewed every five years. All the nuclear projects will be reviewed from the safety point of view. For NPCIL, safety of the people comes first,’’ said SK Jain, CMD, NPCIL.

The JNPP has come under the scanner following the explosions at nuclear reactors in Japan. In a desperate effort to clear the clouds of uncertainty, the officials were on the spree of demonstrating the safety standards of nuclear projects in India.

The officials refused the anti-project activists claim that, JNPP will be using the untested technology of European Pressurised Reactors (EPR).

‘’EPR is the combination of best features available in the latest technology reactors world over. You cannot say that this technology is not being tested before. Only the best features available are being included in EPR, which is completely safe. Around 10 other reactors are in the process of being built. Jaitapur’s will be the 11th one,’’ said DAE scientist SA Bhardwaj.

He added that, since the project will be built on 25-metre high plateau, there will be no danger from tsunami attack.