Safety review says Indian n-plants can withstand disasters
04 Aug 2011
New Delhi: A safety review by India's sole nuclear utility, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), has concluded that Indian nuclear plants will be able to withstand "extreme natural events" like tsunamis, cyclones, floods and dam collapses. The review was set into motion after increased public concern in the wake of the tsunami-induced Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
The government informed Parliament, currently in session, NPCIL set up six taskforces to review safety features in Indian nuclear plants in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.
"These taskforces have revisited the safety of all nuclear power plants and found that Indian nuclear power reactors have sufficient margins and features in the design to withstand high intensity earthquakes and tsunami," the government said.
The taskforces have made various recommendations, such as shutting down reactors automatically on sensing seismic activity and setting up additional sources of power, including hook-ups through external sources of power like diesel generators.
In Fukushima, loss of on-site emergency power systems prevented cooling of fuel rods, which led to overheating, resulting in hydrogen production and explosions due to hydrogen fire.
The government is accordingly focusing more on maintaining power in reactors and augmenting power sources.
