France nuclear site blast raises cry in India to step up safety measures

In the second global nuclear incident over six months, the blast at France's Marcoule nuclear site on Monday is being closely tracked by stakeholders in India.

The accident has unnerved campaigners opposing the proposed nuclear plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. And the Indian nuclear establishment too is keeping a “tab” on the incident that it calls an “industrial accident.”

One person was killed and four injured, one seriously, in the blast . It was an explosion of a furnace dedicated for the melting of the metallic radioactive waste.

French electricity provider EDF subsidiary Socodei, which runs the site, said it was an “an industrial accident,” not a nuclear accident.

Fukushima disaster

In March, the earthquake- and tsunami-triggered accident at Fukushima in Japan had forced Governments worldwide to revisit plans for nuclear plants, or upgrade their security measure.

EDF and Areva, which would be supplying reactors for Jaitapur project, work very closely in the global nuclear business.

‘Industrial accident'

Mr S.K. Chande, Vice-Chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, told Business Line that the incident at Marcoule was an industrial accident involving a furnace, which was used for melting radioactive steel.

“Based on the information from the French counterparts, it appears to be a minor industrial accident with no radioactivity leak. We are keeping a tab on the situation but the details of the accident will emerge over time. Our information is still at a very preliminary level,” he said.

‘Kept under wraps'

But Mr B.G. Kolshe Patil, a retired judge of the High Court and prominent anti-nuclear campaigner, said that the full details of the accident are being kept under wraps. “That is the way the nuclear industry runs worldwide. Only in the event of a major accident involving death of a person that sketchy details are given out.

“It must be noted that the plant also processes Plutonium, one of the most lethal materials known to mankind, which can last in the environment for many thousands of years,” he said.

Cause not known

In fact, a Greenpeace note said that the French Government must ensure that the local people are informed of the situation and the potential radioactive releases. “Information is still emerging and we do not know the cause of the explosion, but it serves as yet another tragic reminder of the dangers of nuclear power,” the release said.

Nuclear plants across the country are seeing protests, with people living close to the proposed plants fearing their safety. Besides protests at Maharashtra's Jaitapur site, Tamil Nadu too is witnessing similar protests.

On Monday, for instance, people in Tirunelveli had observed a day-long hunger strike demanding the closure of the Koodankulam nuclear power plant in their district.

> rahulw@thehindu.co.in

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