The Supreme Court today cleared the hurdles to commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear plant that has been mired in controversy. The court said the apprehensions about public safety and environmental concerns have been allayed in view of the unanimous expert opinion.
A Bench of justices K. S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said the Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu is safe and secure and it is necessary for larger public interest and economic growth of the country. Nuclear power plants are needed in the country for the present and the future generations and to provide cheaper energy, the court said.
However, the Bench clarified that commissioning of the plant would happen only after clearances from the authorities concerned. It also laid down 15 guidelines on the commissioning, safety, security and environmental issues related to the plant.
The project is for welfare and the concept of larger public interest must weigh over the minor public inconveniences, it said. Minor inconveniences and problems should not be allowed to hamper the long-term benefits of nuclear power plants and moreover, the authorities are concerned with the safety and security measures, which is clear from the fact that 12 out of 17 such measures are already in place, the Bench said.
The Centre, the Tamil Nadu Government and Nuclear Power Corporation of India, which operates the plant, and other regulatory bodies will undertake regular monitoring of the plant, the court said.
While clearing the project, the Bench said there should be a balance between public interest and sustainable development.
Anti-nuclear activists have held agitations demanding scrapping of the project and many criminal cases have been registered against the protesters.
The Bench asked the authorities to endeavour to withdraw criminal cases against those protesting against the plant’s commissioning. It said it was a genuine PIL the court is disposing of after detailed deliberation on each and every aspect.