CHENNAI: Hopeful of the standoff on the commissioning of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) blowing over soon, nuclear experts from Russia have decided to wait till the issue gets sorted out.Referring to some media reports that the Russian scientists, who are in Koodankulam, had left for their country, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Southern India, Nikolay A Listopadav, told Express on Thursday that some of the Russians left because their work was over but a team of 90 experts, headed by E N Dudkin, is still here. He said that none of the Russian experts, who had been living in Koodankulam or visiting the plant on work since 2002, had faced any hostility from the locals or in other nearby towns at any point of time and there had been no visible signs of resentment over the project all through the years. Listopadav said he was surprised by the sudden upsurge against the project just when it was about to be commissioned as it was all quiet and calm even 20 months back when he visited Koodankulam soon after taking charge as the top envoy of Russia in south India.He plans to visit the place once again and is in constant touch with project site director, M K Balaji and Dudkin, keeping Moscow updated on the developments.He said the fear over the safety of the plant was triggered among the local population by the catastrophe in Fukushima and fuelled by some ‘vested interests’ and ‘professional activists’. While many activists were honest in their commitment to the cause they espouse, for some activism was ‘business’, he said and added that they were part of the network of anti-nuclear campaigners around the world.The people needed to be informed of the sophisticated technology employed in the VVER plants, which have been built by Russians across the world. Apart from 20 functional VVER rectors — six more are being built now — in Russia, similar reactors are there in countries such as China, Iran, Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Armenia, he said.There had been no nuclear accidents in any of the plants so far, said the career diplomat, who has earlier served in countries like Myanmar and Nepal, besides working in Moscow at the desk specialising on countries around India other than Pakistan.Asked about the suppliers of components and builders of the Koodankulam having no liability in the event of an accident, Listopadav said if something untoward happened due to flaws in the technology or the machinery, the Russians would take responsibility. But if things were to go wrong due to poor maintenance, the companies could not be made liable, he said.
Comments
0 comment