Hyderabad, Nov 25: Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Srikumar Banerjee on Thursday said a structured discussion is underway to allay the fears over safety and other aspects of the proposed Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).
The 15-member (central panel) expert committee, constituted by the Centre, has had several meetings and also visited the nuclear plant, Banerjee said on the sidelines of the 22nd National Annual Conference of the Indian Nuclear Society (INS) here.
The committee looked into details and discussed the issue with a committee constituted by Tamil Nadu government and addressed all concerns raised by KKNPP protesters, he added.
“We feel that in fact there is no difficulty and further questions and other issues all can be addressed but we should try to be focused...if we really want to settle this on a logical basis. If it is sort of an unstructured discussion, then you really don't advanced much. So, we have been trying to take the step of structured discussion through which we will be able to explain,” Banerjee said.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, which is close to achieving criticality, has been facing road blocks due to agitation by local activists who are demanding that the project to install two 1,000 MW reactors be scrapped, despite assurances that the Russian reactors were safe and could safely survive earthquakes and tsunamis.
The activists' worry increased after the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan.
Banerjee said he had spoken to the convener of the expert committee and he had told him that all the points over safety and other aspects, which were raised, have been explained to the protesters.
“I believe that with this we will be able to win the hearts of the people there and tell them that what we are trying to do is only for the betterment of the region and by no way affecting their livelihood nor causing any problem in the environment around the site of plant in the future,” Banerjee said.
“The points of concern and fear in the minds of people, particularly with regard to concern that the nuclear plant will affect the livelihood of the fishing community, Fukushima-type disaster in case of a tsunami or earthquake, safety aspects and others issues have been addressed and I am quite positive about the Kudankulam nuclear plant,” he added.
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