'Professional agitators' worked against N-plant: M R Srinivasan

Lashing out at anti-nuclear activists, a former Atomic Energy Commission chief today said that "certain professional agitators" had worked against the project at Kudankulam which was "one of the best sites" for a nuclear power station.

The fisherfolk living around Kudankulam village were no doubt greatly agitated after the Fukushima disaster but "certain professional agitators, with motives of their own, have worked on the fears on the innocent fisherfolk," former AEC chairman M R Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan, who was one of the members of the panel set up by Tamil Nadu government to allay the fears of the locals about the project, said Fukushima reactors lacked many of the safety features and earthquake and Tsunami that occurred in Japan were inconceivable at Kudankulam.

Kudankulam was one of the best sites for nuclear power station and the design of the station, evolved in Russia incorporating the most advanced safety measures, belong to Generation 3 Plus, he said.

Lamenting that people in India seemed to celebrate every time a project was abandoned, Srinivasan said the rational answer was that the project should be evaluated rigorously with regard to environmental impact and all due measures must be taken to avoid adverse consequences.

Equally rehabilitation must be attended to promptly and all amenities provided to those displaced people at the new location and their livelihood ensured, the scientist said.

India needed to develop nuclear energy in addition to all other forms of energy to meet its ever growing demand, he said.

The country has 20 operating nuclear power units, the oldest two having been in operation for more than 40 years, and has a very good record in nuclear safety, Srinivasan said, delivering the 'graduation day' address at a city college.