Kudankulam n-plant: shoddy construction likely, warn 60 experts

The Supreme Court may have given its go ahead for the mammoth Kudankulam nuclear power plants saying safety aspects are fully taken care of; but many scientists remain unconvinced, particularly in view of the sub-standard work on the ground which, they say, is often rampant in India.

As many as 60 leading scientists  have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala seeking a "renewed study" of safety issues by an independent panel of experts, "particularly with reference to possible sub-standard components" used in the plant.

Most of these scientists work in state-run institutions; and several of them have expertise in the nuclear field.

A copy of the letter has also been marked to the secretary, Department of Atomic Energy.

The nuclear plant – one of the biggest in the world - is being built in the teeth of international practice, which has veered away from this source of power. Moreover it is being built with Russian expertise, which is hardly the most reliable in the world, they aver.

"Safety concerns are compounded by the fact that Russian authorities arrested Sergei Shutov, procurement director of Zio-Podolsk, on corruption charges for having sourced cheaper sub-standard steel for manufacturing components that were used in Russian nuclear installations in Bulgaria, Iran, China and India," the letter said.

The scientists said the arrest of Shutov has led to several complaints of sub-standard components and follow-up investigations in Bulgaria and China.

Referring to the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan that turned most of the world away from nuclear power – and incidentally turned India into a lifeline for nuclear component suppliers - the scientists said, "To reduce such a risk, in the light of recent revelations, we believe that it is important to have a fresh independent and thorough quality inspection of the components used in the two reactors."

The petitioners include scientists from reputed institutions like the Indian Institute of Science, the IITs of Bombay and Madras, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Harish Chandra Research Institute which is supported by the Department of Atomic Energy.

The scientists said they were not for or against nuclear energy, but were seeking better assurance on matters related to safety.

"Any exercise to assure oneself of the quality of components used will have to be done before the plant is commissioned. Once commissioned, the radioactive environment in sections of the plant will make it impossible to access and test some potentially-critical components," the three-page petition said.

The twin reactors of 1000 MW each have been built at a cost of Rs15,000 crore. The first unit is expected to be commissioned soon.