Govt to set up new atomic energy watchdog; tighten safety at Jaitapur

The Government has announced measures to tighten safety systems at the proposed Jaitapur nuclear project, amid mounting protests at the designated site in coastal Maharashtra.

After a high-level meeting called by the Prime Minister on Tuesday, it was also decided that an autonomous atomic energy watchdog would be set up to address safety concerns after the Fukushima nuclear incident in Japan.

The Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, and the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Mr V. Narayanasamy, who attended the meeting called by Dr Manmohan Singh, announced the decisions at a press briefing here. The measures include a proposal to invite an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team to assist in safety reviews and audit.

On plans to beef up the existing regulatory regime, Mr Narayanasamy said the Government would introduce a Bill in the next session of Parliament to create an “independent and autonomous Nuclear Regulatory Authority of India that will subsume the existing Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)”. The decision to have a new body with statutory backing for overseeing safety aspects in the sector marks a major departure from earlier plans that aimed at devolving greater autonomy to the existing AERB.

On the Jaitapur project, it has been decided that each of the imported French pressurised water reactors to be deployed at the site would have a “standalone safety and operations system”, Mr Narayanasamy said. Mr Ramesh described this as a major step forward. “Today, a very important decision has been taken that each reactor in Jaitapur will have a stand-alone safety system, a dedicated operating and maintenance system… Fukushima saw the cascading of the failure of one reactor, and that is what caused much of the public concern on Jaitapur,” he said.

The first set of two reactors, with a capacity of 1,650 MWe (mega watt electrical) each, is expected to be operational by 2019. The site is to progressively house six EPR reactors manufactured by France's Areva, cumulatively adding up to a capacity of 9,900 MWe.

Clashes between protesters and police last week resulted in one person being killed and several injured near the proposed site. Asserting that there would be complete transparency in the country's nuclear power programme, Mr Chavan said all efforts were being made to engage the local community in Jaitapur and a new compensation package would be announced shortly.

Clarifying his stand on the project, Mr Ramesh said his recent call for a “pause” was aimed at the need for taking stock of all the safety concerns arising, post-Fukushima. “The pause was to look at the safety issues,” the Minister said.

Maintaining that the livelihood of local fishermen and their families would continue to get the highest priority, Mr Narayanasamy said the Prime Minister has underscored the need to improve public communication and outreach. “We are continuously engaging with those living in the area,” Mr Chavan said.

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