Vested interests spreading misinformation on Kudankulam: NPCIL

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Breaking its silence, India's
sole nuclear operator Wednesday blamed "vested interest
groups" for spreading misinformation on the Kudankulam nuclear
project and vouched for the safety of the atomic power plants.
"There are some vested interest groups who are spreading
unscientific and incorrect information fuelling apprehensions
and fears about nuclear power among the masses," Nalinish
Nagaich, Executive Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of
India Limited (NPCIL) said in a statement.
He also issued a 16-page note detailing "facts" on the
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) being developed with
Russian collaboration.
Nagaich asserted that the KNPP adhered to all the nuclear
safety and environment guidelines issued by regulatory
authorities from time to time.
Seeking to allay fears of the fishing community, the
NPCIL said Kudankulam nuclear power project cooling water
system also provides for fish protection, which ensures fish
are not sucked into the intake.
It also underlined efforts to ensure that release of any
radioactivity or radiation in the public domain affecting the
public and the environment is minimised to be well within the
prescribed regulatory limits.
"The design of Kudankulam reactors also incorporates
features such as core catcher, Hydrogen management system to
mitigate severe accident scenario as witnessed at Fukushima in
Japan," it said.
Safety review on setting up the project is carried out by
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board over and above the regulatory
review carried out for these reactors in the Russian
Federation, the NPCIL note said.
On apprehensions that the project was being built in a
quake-prone region, the NPCIL said the Kudankulam site was
located in the lowest seismic hazard zone of the country -
Zone-II.
The nearest epicenter of a recorded earthquake was
located near Trivandrum, which is situated at a distance of 88
km north-northwest of the Kudankulam site, where two
earthquakes corresponding to 4.3 magnitude on Richter scale,
were recorded, it said.
The structures, systems and equipment of Kudankulam plant
were designed for an earthquake magnitude of 6.0 on Richter
scale with a peak ground acceleration of 0.15 G.
"An evaluation of the plant based on allowable stress
values of materials has indicated that it can withstand
significantly higher peak ground acceleration of up to 0.6G,"
the NPCIL said.
It added that the Kudankulam site is located about 1500
km from the tsunamigenic fault and a tsunami would take time
and lose some of its energy by the time it strikes site.
The site was not affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami due to its design of higher finished floor level.
"The water level experienced at the site due to December
26, 2004 tsunami triggered by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake was
2.2 m above mean sea level," the NPCIL said.
In addition to location at higher elevations, all the
safety related buildings are closed with double gasket
leak-tight doors, it said.
"Hence, water entry into these buildings is extremely
remote even in case of sea water level surge reaching up to
their elevations," the NPCIL said.