M A I N   N E W S

Prime Minister reviews N-disaster response preparedness
Orders safety upgrades at all nuclear facilities
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, June 1
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has spurred the Indian establishment to constantly review the safety of nuclear facilities in the country. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and reviewed the nuclear disaster preparedness. Official sources said he instructed the NDMA to put in place the world’s best possible safety precautions and procedures at nuclear facilities across the country.

The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s residence, was attended by Home Minister P Chidambaram, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy and Atomic Energy Commission Chairman SK Banerjee besides top nuclear scientists. Banerjee gave a presentation on the safety of nuclear installations in the country.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, NDMA Vice-Chairman M Shashidhar Reddy said the meeting looked beyond the design-based accident possibility.

The PM said the reaction time to tsunami in Sumatra-Andaman region was only 20-30 minutes. He asked the NDMA authorities to reach out to the people in the Andaman region and prepare for such an eventuality.

The meeting also discussed measures like the installation of hi-tech radiation-measuring gadgets in 35 cities, including metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The Prime Minister also reviewed guidelines issued by the NDMA for nuclear and radiological emergencies.

The meeting discussed fast-tracking of other steps like creation of disaster response forces and procurement of special radiation-detection vehicles. There was a proposal to raise a force of at least 10,000 personnel trained in tackling nuclear disasters.

The preparedness to meet other forms of disasters like earthquakes was also discussed with special focus on National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project.

The high-level meeting reviewed the nuclear safety issues being looked after by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the Department of Atomic Energy.

According to informed sources, the meeting was of the view that there could be no compromise with the safety of the 20 nuclear plants in India although there was no fear of a Japan-like tragedy, knowing the geology of this country. It was, however, felt that adequate mechanism must be put in place to meet any challenge in the event of the release of radiation from any plant.

Ever since the disaster struck the Fukushima nuclear plants in Japan on March 11, the government has been under pressure to review its civil nuclear energy programme. The PM is, however, of the view that the country has no option but to pursue its civil-nuclear programme to meet its growing energy needs.

THE AREAS OF FOCUS

• Reducing reaction time to disasters like tsunami and earthquakes
• Raising a force of at least 10,000 personnel trained in tackling nuclear disasters
• Installation of radiation-measuring gadgets in 35 cities
• Procurement of special radiation-detection vehicles
• Fast-tracking creation of disaster response forces