The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

on record
N-energy honeymoon is over, have to address radiation fears
Raj Chengappa talks to Ratan Kumar Sinha Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

Many of India's new nuclear plants are facing stiff resistance from local populations that have raised concerns about their safety, particularly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Ratan Kumar Sinha, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, spoke about such concerns at the headquarters in Mumbai. Excerpts:

The Supreme Court, while hearing the petition to halt the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu, has come out with some pretty strong comments. What is your reaction to such concerns?

We are out of what we called the romantic era of nuclear energy in the '70s or early '80s. It is because of the fear of radiation, which is not so well supported by hard scientific data. The effect of high-level radiation on human health is now reasonably well studied, whether after the 1945 atomic bomb blasts, the Chernobyl disaster or the high levels of radiation found naturally in certain parts of Kerala. Scientific evidence does not support the hypothesis that any radiation is hazardous. There are well-defined limits below which nothing happens, although those limits were extremely high. The conclusion is that the normal risk of dying of cancer for a human is about 30 per cent; and that will go up by one more per cent in case people are exposed to the highest levels of radiation from a nuclear plant.

What about concerns over the Kudankulam plant regarding safety?

Concerns on safety in the minds of people cannot be said to be unjustified. We have done a lot of work and several committees have been appointed to allay the fears. But now the matter is before the honourable Supreme Court of India, and we will go by whatever the court decides on the matter. We will put before the Supreme Court the points that are well established about the safety of these plants; the court certainly has the right to ask for more clarifications. We would also address the fundamental point of fear of radiation, which in my view is rather more important for the growth of our country.

What are the kinds of safety measures you have taken in Indian nuclear plants, especially after Fukushima?

Spread of radiation takes place only after the nuclear reactor is damaged. Reactors automatically shut down, as it happened in Fukushima. But there is residual heat that needs to be removed through circulation of water. If water is not available for cooling due to some reason, then you have a problem, which is what happened in Fukushima. But in all reactors built after the '70s, it has been well conceived how to remove decay heat by providing for an extra water sink within the containment itself, either below ground - in which case you will have to have a pump that will be operated - or above ground near the top, in which the water will move in the form of natural circulation and come down. Having learnt a lesson from Fukushima, all reactors in the country have been checked and safety features enhanced. The Kudankulam reactors belong to Generation 3 Plus, in which redundancy is built in - where one is required, they have four for all safety systems. All critical systems have adequate redundancy in terms of number of pumps and heat exchangers.

The concern is that a tsunami similar to the one that hit Fukushima may also strike Kudankulam.

The fear of getting into a natural calamity of that magnitude is baseless, and even if it happens we are now ready. We have, in fact, modelled that and predicted exactly where and what kind of wave will run and what heights will be touched if a tsunami happens. The highest tsunami cannot reach anywhere close to the level required to submerge the plant. If a tsunami does attain such a height, then nobody will be saved in the neighbourhood, and those villagers who are protesting today will be all gone instantly.

There were objections to the nuclear plant coming up at Gorakhpur in Haryana also. What is the current status?

According to my understanding, there were expectations of some higher compensation. The local authorities and the state government were very helpful in handling the issue. Initially, cheques for compensation were not being collected. Now, I believe the cheques have been collected and deposited. And as far as the compensation for the land is concerned, it is adequate and there should not be a problem anymore.

There has been a demand to make the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, which monitors safety of the plants, independent of the Atomic Energy Commission.

It is very important that a regulator should be professionally competent, just as a judge must hold a degree in law. With professional competency, one will be able to view the threat to safety in a proper scientific manner. Apart from professionalism, one should have professional integrity also. So far, regulators have always been beneficiaries of both professionalism and integrity coming from scientific institutions. They have been watchful, asking for plants to be shut down at the slightest suspicion. They have been de facto independent. In the interest of convincing the public at large further, the Government of India is introducing the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, which is before Parliament, and this will also provide de jure independence.

Japan has stated that it would start phasing out its nuclear plants so that by 2040 it does not have any functioning. What is the impact going to be on the future of nuclear energy?

The International Atomic Energy Agency has already carried out a study in their Nuclear Technology Review-2012. There is a statement to the effect that barring a small dip, they don't expect a major long-term effect. Around the year 2030, the installed capacity would be more or less similar to what they had assessed earlier, and this is supported by the fact that a large number of countries still have growing nuclear power programmes, China and India included. In fact, seven new nuclear reactors have been made operational after Fukushima. The expectation is that wherever there is demand, the growth of nuclear energy will not be restricted. In my view, for India, nuclear energy is absolutely essential, like food and water. If you want to accelerate economic growth, you have to accelerate the supply of energy, without which various kinds of issues, including unemployment, cannot beaddressed.

good news
To this credit society, profit alone doesn’t matter
The Al Khair credit society in Lucknow has been giving interest-free loans to vendors, small shopkeepers
By Shahira Naim

lending a hand: The Al Khair credit society is saving small shopkeepers from unscrupulous money lenders.

Earlier whenever Munna Lal needed capital for his tea stall located near a hospital at Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, he would borrow from money lenders and end up paying Rs 6,000 for a Rs 5,000 loan, even if he repaid it within a month. This was because he had to pay a compound interest rate at an exorbitant 10 per cent per day.

New beginning

But now things have changed for him. For the last over a year, he’s a member of the Al Khair Cooperative Credit Society. He has availed a loan of Rs 5,000 by paying a service charge of merely Rs 275, which remains constant till he repays the loan.

With the Rs 5,000 he borrowed last year, he bought a gas stove and cylinder connection for his shop. After repaying the loan, he is now taking a fresh loan which he would spend on purchasing items like biscuits and savories to go with tea.

Munna Lal also contributes Rs 20 every day to his rozana bachat khata (daily savings account) in order to remain eligible for a fresh loan.

The credit society has about 500 members, most of whom are vegetable, fruit and meat vendors operating in the wholesale mandi in the vicinity of the society. Several rickshaw-pullers, small shopkeepers and maids have become members of the credit society by opening an account by paying Rs 50. They save money by contributing even as little as Rs 10 a day for at least three months to be eligible for a loan.

While there is no maximum amount for regular contributions to the savings account, it remains in hundreds for members of the unorganised sector that the credit society caters to.

Loan recovery

Around 305 members have taken a loan from the society. The total amount that has been loaned out is Rs 40 lakh, of which 25 lakh has been recovered. The maximum amount of loan given to a member at one time is Rs 20,000, on which he or she pays a service charge of Rs 1,635 irrespective of the period of loan repayment. The service charge takes care of the salary and overhead expenses of the office.

The Lucknow branch of the cooperative society is the sister organisation of the parent society that started in Patna and is registered under the Multi-States Cooperative Societies Act 2002.

The corpus

The Lucknow chapter began operations barely two years ago. The initial loans were given with the Rs 4 lakh seed money (called the amanat fund) collected through contributions from around 50 “like-minded citizens”. This corpus remains with the society and the contributors are paid no interest. But they can withdraw it whenever they wish.

The office of the society functions from a rent-free basement provided by SM Nasim, a retired IPS officer, who monitors the day-to-day functioning of the society along with a manager who maintains the record of every transaction. Two collectors visit the members every day to collect their daily contributions to the bachat khata.

“We are catering to a 2-km radius in and around this office. Each collector has to personally collect the money, give the receipt to the client (colour coded for contribution to savings account and repayment of loan), return to office and make the entries in the daily deposit register,” says Nasim.

Expansion a problem

There is a demand for interest-free loans from other areas as well, but Nasim admits that they are unable to expand as they require hardworking and honest employees. “All the dealings are in cash and customers are often not even literate and hence, vulnerable,” he points out.

About 40 per cent of loans have been taken by women who, according to Nasim, are most creditworthy.

“They are very regular in their contributions as well as repayment of loans. Recently, a woman took a loan to buy goats so she could rear and breed them for an income,” he says.

Loans are mainly given for expansion of business as repayment is crucial for the cycle of loaning to continue. “We manage to collect around Rs 12,000 every day from our members. In this way we are able to sanction a loan of Rs 20,000 every other day,” he says.

As a policy, the society does not encourage giving loans for weddings and illnesses. But there are exceptions and loans are sanctioned on a case-to-case basis. Recently, over 20 Dalit members borrowed from the society to buy low-income subsidised government houses.

Money lenders

Munna Lal talks of how the Al Khair society has benefited fellow shopkeepers and others who are not even members of the society. “To compete with the interest-free loan being given by Al Khair, money lenders have reduced their interest rates in order to remain in business,” he informs. This certainly is no small achievement.

Off the cuff

Earlier if men and women held hands, parents would reprimand them. Things have changed. Now, everything is done openly. It’s like an open market with open options.

Mamata Banerjee, west bengal chief minister
Taking a dig at modern society

He’s surviving in politics because of his mother running the show and sychophancy of party members. His leadership is arrogant.

Bikram Singh Majithia, punjab pr minister
On Rahul Gandhi dubbingPunjab youths addicts

The Congress has thrown me into the garbage. I’m a Jurassic Park Congressman who believes in fundamental secularism.

Mani shankar aiyar, former union minister
On Congress not taking him seriously

Poor Beni Babu! He’s only saying that with a Rs 1.76 lakh crore 2G scam and Rs 1.86 lakh crore Coalgate, the UPA has raised the bar so high that Rs 71 lakh is not even small change for them.

Arun Jaitley, bjp leader
On Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad’s gaffe

Respect for women seems to be missing in the way songs are written and videos are shot these days.

Harbhajan Mann, actor-singer
On growing vulgarity in Punjabi music