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India’s ramshackle infrastructure a danger for nuclear safety

Japan crisis fuels India nuclear safety concerns, Daily Times. 11 April 11,  “…….experts say the government has not properly addressed a crisis scenario, given India’s ramshackle infrastructure and largely untested emergency procedures. The Department of Atomic Energy has “cavalierly minimised” the potential of an accident, said Balaram’s letter, which was also signed by Gopalakrishnan and former power secretary E.A.S. Sharma.The Japanese crisis has focused domestic attention on India’s plans to construct what would be one of the world’s largest nuclear plants at Jaitapur in a seismically sensitive region of Maharashtra state.French company Areva has signed a $9.3 billion deal to supply the first two of Jaitapur’s six planned third-generation pressurised water reactors.But the region has experienced 92 earthquakes since 1985, including one measuring 6.2, according to environmental group Greenpeace.“The dangers have been swept under the carpet,” Greenpeace spokesman Hofeza Merchant said.
“With our corrupt and poor quality practices inherent in the system, it is very dangerous to meddle with such high-risk projects,” said B. Ramakrishnam Raju, convenor of the National Alliance of People’s Movements.
Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan – Japan crisis fuels India nuclear safety concerns

April 11, 2011 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

India’s public do not regard nuclear energy as safe

survey of nearly 10,000 people by pollsters Chanakya, part of New Delhi’s RNB Research, showed 77 percent of Indians were worried about atomic safety.

Japan crisis fuels India nuclear safety concerns, Daily Times -, 11 April 11, NEW DELHI: Japan’s nuclear crisis has fuelled public unease in India over ambitious government plans to ramp up nuclear power capacity to feed the country’s growing, energy-hungry economy…. Continue reading

April 11, 2011 Posted by | India, politics | Leave a comment

India’s coastline at risk from its nuclear power programme

N-power plan will turn coastline into disaster zone’ The Times of India,  Apr 4, 2011 NEW DELHI: Former Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) chairman A Gopalakrishnan has raised alarm over the government’s nuclear power programme based on imported reactors, saying it would turn India’s entire coastline into a disaster zone in waiting.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Gopalakrishnan argued that Department of Atomic Energy’s projection of 6,55,000 MW nuclear power generation capacity by 2050 — with additional fast-breeder reactors that would use plutonium from the imported plants — would mean 655 nuclear power reactors each of 1,000 MW capacity.
Gopalakrishnan said, “These would be stringed along a total coastline of about 6,000 km the country has — about 109 six-reactor nuclear parks, spaced along the coast every 55 km apart”.

He said the reactors being imported were new types, which foreigners had no experience of…
‘N-power plan will turn coastline into disaster zone’ – The Times of India

April 4, 2011 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

50 prominent Indians call for moratorium on nuclear projects

Are India and Germany beginning to show the way for other democracies around the world? The nuclear moratorium issue appears to be fast becoming the clarion call of our times.

“I” for India comes after “G” for Germany. Energy Collective 4 April 11, A top Indian scientist and government advisor, backed by more than 50 prominent figures, has called for a moratorium on all future nuclear projects following the nuclear crisis in tsunami-hit Japan. Continue reading

April 4, 2011 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

India’s Parliament and people kept in the dark, as USA sells nuclear to India

Among the US objectives were the desire ……to revive the moribund US nuclear industry by selling US-design nuclear reactors to India……US and Indian corporate sectors and their federations interested in profiteering from the Indian nuclear power business,….This collective also successfully kept Parliament and the people of India deliberately in the dark throughout this decision-making process. And all this is still continuing under cover of the Official Secrets Act, which is unnecessarily being applied to this civilian nuclear power sector, mainly to hush up the irrational policy decisions and the questionable financial deals between the government and corporate business houses.

Abandon the import of nuclear reactors: DNA ,  Dr A Gopalakrishnan Former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board , Apr 4, 2011,   Mumbai : The decision taken by the government to import about 40,000 MWe of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) within the next two decades, has no justifiable technical or economic basis. Continue reading

April 4, 2011 Posted by | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Call for stopping India’s nuclear industry, and for independence in regulatory authority

The nuclear regulator must also be completely independent of the department of atomic energy (DAE),”……….Balaram’s demand for a moratorium — stopping nuclear power production for the time being — is likely to embarrass the government because of the positions he holds…….India’s nuclear power regulator – the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board – reports to the DAE, which is in charge of approving projects, creating a potential conflict of interest.

Top scientist calls for halt to N-power Charu Sudan Kasturi , Hindustan Times New Delhi, April 01, 2011 A top scientist on the Prime Minister’s scientific advisory council on Thursday demanded a nuclear moratorium following the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in quake-ravaged Japan. This is the first direct call from within the government for a temporary stop to nuclear power production. P Balaram,  Continue reading

April 1, 2011 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear, politics | Leave a comment

USA nuclear firms not able to shake India’s Nuclear Liability Act

Emboldened anti-nuclear activists marched on the Indian Parliament today, and the WikiLeaks website gave critics more fodder this week by releasing a U.S. diplomatic cable that reported money was offered to lock down Indian legislators’ support for the nuclear pact……the government has been weakened by scandals. … In this light, it is safe to say that the Indian [liability] legislation will not be amended to accommodate the interests of GE and Westinghouse.”..

Japan Disaster Refuels Liability Debate in U.S.-India Nuclear Pact, NYTimes.com, By ELANA SCHOR  March 25, 2011“…..Amid that uncertainty over how much of the radiation seeping from the Fukushima plant could have been kept in check, a heated debate has erupted in India over the evolution of its still-undersized nuclear industry and the implementation of its 6-year-old deal with Washington. Continue reading

March 26, 2011 Posted by | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

India’s Nuclear Liability Law has new relevance, as Fukushima disaster unfolds

The Obama administration is keen to see the Indian liability law changed, warning that any supplier burden could jeopardize investment gains teed up by the U.S.-India civil nuclear pact in 2005, but the Japanese crisis stands to throw a wrench in that effort…..Should the prospect of nuclear suppliers and operators battling in court over any Indian safety lapse dissuade U.S. companies from entering that country’s market, it would compound the financial blow already expected within the industry as a result of the Fukushima crisis

Japan Disaster Refuels Liability Debate in U.S.-India Nuclear Pact,  NYTimes.com, By ELANA SCHOR   March 25, 2011 Nuclear-powered nations are taking a hard look at safety in the wake of Japan’s struggle to stave off a meltdown. But as the thorny question of liability emerges, a push to reassess who pays for post-disaster rebuilding could flare up in India — where the United States hopes to gain from a nascent nuclear boom Continue reading

March 26, 2011 Posted by | India, politics international | Leave a comment

US-India nuclear agreement locks India into subordinate role

The WikiLeaks disclosures don’t bring out any new facts. Many of them had been raised earlier,  ………particularly on the Indo-US nuclear agreement…..That the civilian nuclear accord was merely a ruse to seal a strategic partnership and interlock a proud, independent nation into a subordinate relationship is established by these revelations…….The US government has admitted the cables are genuine

Nuclear deal was ruse to subordinate India to the US, DNA Mar 25, 2011,  By Nilotpal Basu | Mumbai The stream of almost unending revelations that comes out everyday punctures the credibility of the Manmohan Singh government.

Continue reading

March 26, 2011 Posted by | India, politics international | Leave a comment

India keeps on with nuclear weapons buildup

India tests two nuclear-capable missiles, Google hosted news, (AFP) –  12 march 11, BHUBANESWAR, India — India tested two short-range nuclear-capable missiles along its eastern coast on Friday, an official said, as part of the nation’s efforts to build up its nuclear deterrent……AFP: India tests two nuclear-capable missiles

March 17, 2011 Posted by | India, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Nuclear marketing going ahead in China and India, anyway

in China, which has the world’s most ambitious nuclear expansion plans, a vice minister of environment, Zhang Lijun, said on Saturday that Japan’s difficulties would not deter his nation’s nuclear rollout…..The United States has lobbied extensively to open India’s nuclear power market to American industry. Indian and American officials spent more than five years negotiating a nuclear energy agreement that was blessed by both governments and international nuclear agencies.

Emerging economies move ahead with nuclear plans, New York Times, by Heather Timmons and Vikas Bajaj, 15 March 11, NEW DELHI — Despite Japan’s crisis, India and China and some other energy-ravenous countries say they plan to keep using their nuclear power plants and building new ones. Continue reading

March 15, 2011 Posted by | China, India, marketing | Leave a comment

Political backing for India’s anti nuclear farmers

More than 3,000 people are taking part in the 350 km padyatra from Doliya village in Bhavnagar to Gandhinagar led by Kalsaria…..People shouted slogans like “Anu mathak moth nu mathak (nuclear plant, death plant).

Support grows for agitating farmers, The Times of IndiaVijaysinh Parmar, TNN | Mar 6, 2011, MITHIVIRDI (Bhavnagar): Farmers of Mithivirdi, Jaspara, Mandva and Khadarpar villages in Bhavnagar district who are protesting against the proposed 8,000 MW nuclear power plant have received support from Mahuva BJP MLA Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria, BJP’s farmers’ wing Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and Youth Congress. Continue reading

March 8, 2011 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear | 1 Comment

Restrictions imposed on anti-nuclear former judges, in India

Curbs imposed on movement of two ex-judges opposing n-plant, Sify News 2011-03-06 Ratnagiri (Maharashtra)   (IANS) Toughening its stance against those opposing the 9,900 MW Jaitapur nuclear power plant in this Maharashtra district, the area’s collector Sunday banned two former judges and others from entering the district. Continue reading

March 7, 2011 Posted by | civil liberties, India | Leave a comment

Indian police intimidating Jaitapur anti nuclear protestors

“In a democracy, we reserve our right to express our opinion against the project. But, the authorities can in no way prevent the people from opposing the project. My party stands solidly by the villagers opposing the JNPP,”

Uddhav to CM: Rein in cops riding roughshod over Jaitapur protestersThe Pioneer (India), March 4, 2011, Mumbai, — Shiv Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday evening lodged a vehement protest with Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan against the manner in which the Ratnagiri district police were trying to “intimidate” the villagers crusading against the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project. Continue reading

March 5, 2011 Posted by | civil liberties, India | Leave a comment

Water shortage halts uranium processing plant in India

Uranium processing plant lying idle for water crisis, IBN Live News, Mar 03,2011 Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), The production in the processing plant of Turamdih uranium mine, one of the mines of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), has been suspended due to water shortage, officials said.”The processing plant of Turamdih Mines, on the outskirts of Jamshedpur, has been stopped due to water shortage,” S K Srivastav, General Manager of Processing Plant of UCIL, said.He said the processing plant, which has 3000 ton per day capacity, has been lying idle for the last four days as the water source of Kharkhai river has dried up.About 8000 to 9000 cusec water is needed to run the plant, he said.Srivastav said efforts have been underway to draw water from the nearby areas.He said UCIL has decided to transfer the mine water from Jadugora mine to run the mine for a few days. A study has been carried out in the nearby areas to identify a spot from where water could be drawn, officials said. 

March 4, 2011 Posted by | India, water | Leave a comment