MONTHS before its expected date of becoming operational, the Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district has earned the ire of people living nearby. On August 15, three gram sabhas passed resolutions asking for its closure. About 60,000 people live within 10 km of the 2,000 MW plant, …
The recent Group of Seven (G-7) summit clearly indicated what the outcome of the Rio conference is likely to be. There was no significant mention of any environmental issues nor was the subject of environmental aid debated at the summit.The single environmental issue discussed at the G-7 summit—the state of …
A group of over 25 scientists, bureaucrats and activists released a statement on April 19, demanding transparency in India’s nuclear power programme. The statement was released a day after a clash between policemen and those protesting the proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. One person was killed and …
The problems associated with the accidents at the Fukushima nuclear reactors continue, weeks after an earthquake and a tsunami struck Japan. On March 27, Japanese officials announced that leaked water sampled from one unit was highly radioactive, exposure to which would cause severe radiation sickness in hours. Estimates of releases …
According to the cables released by Wikileaks, an official of the International Atomic Energy Agency told Japan’s nuclear officials in 2008 that its safety rules were out of date and strong earthquakes would pose a “serious problem” for nuclear power stations. The Japanese government pledged to upgrade safety at all …
THE slow-moving disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan that is spreading a cloud of anxiety across the world has forced most nations to either suspend or review their nuclear power programmes—but not India. In the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck the huge Daiichi power complex …
INDIA is constructing six nuclear power plants—two each at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, Kakrapar in Gujarat, and Rawatbhata in Rajasthan. Together, they will generate 4,800 MWe of power, states the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s website. This is a big leap towards enhancing the country’s nuclear stature. But is the country …
Two major events happening at two ends of the world—Japan’s natural disaster and nuclear fallout and unrest in Libya and other countries of the region—have one thing in common. Energy. The fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, hit by earthquake and then the tsunami, has not yet been contained. …
This new report provides basic quantitative and qualitative facts about nuclear power plants in operation, under construction, and in planning phases throughout the world.It finds that nearly three-quarters of reactors under construction are located in China, India, Russia & S.Korea but none of these nations have historically been transparent about …
India signed the international convention on compensating nuclear accident victims on October 27. The convention, to a large extent, shields suppliers of nuclear energy technology from paying damages. Washington was keen that New Delhi sign the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage; something Indian leaders had committed to when …
Sri Lanka is becoming a power hungry nation. Several coal power plants with a total generation capacity of 3,200 MW are on the anvil. The country’s new energy minister, Champika Ranawaka, wants a nuclear power plant by 2025. That’s a sure sign of change: Ranawaka started his career as an …
THE preliminary work on the nuclear power plant in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district has started amid protests. Government officials who visited the site in Jasapara village on June 11 to collect soil samples were gheraoed for over six hours by angry people. The soil samples were to be collected for laboratory …
