With its declared commercial operation always 15 days away, the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 1 has become an object of ridicule. Earlier this month, Unit 1’s turbine sustained severe damage as some component came loose and broke the turbine blades. This episode brings into question the quality of the components and construction of the plant, and the rigour of the quality verification exercise carried out by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. The signatories have also called upon the government to not go ahead with Units 3 and 4 respecting the local sentiment against the projects.

Nineteen people, including former chief of Navy Admiral L. Ramdas, former Union power secretary E.A.S. Sarma, social activists Aruna Roy and Medha Patkar, and a number of scientists and concerned citizens, have issued a statement urging the Prime Minister’s Office to commission an enquiry into the irregularities at Koodankulam Units 1 and 2, including an interrogation into how such a shoddy plant managed to secure safety, environmental and quality clearances. Such a move, they said, will inspire confidence in the minds of public regarding the intentions of the Government.

For more information, contact: Nityanand Jayaraman 9444082401 (Chennai Solidarity Group for Koodankulam Struggle)

STATEMENT

We, the undersigned, are deeply disturbed at newspaper reports about the serious damage sustained by Koodankulam Unit 1’s turbine even before the plant has begun commercial operation. We are also concerned at the total lack of accountability of the Department of Atomic Energy, NPCIL and AERB with respect to the Koodankulam project, and are worried about the safety ramifications of persisting with the commissioning of Unit 1 without a thorough and independent review of the plant, its components and the processes of setting it up. We are also shocked to see that unmindful of the problems plaguing Units 1 and 2, and the issues arising from lack of transparency in the nuclear establishment, NPCIL and the Government of India are moving ahead with work on Units 3 and 4.

It is now confirmed that Unit 1’s turbine is severely damaged and would require replacement. One Tamil newspaper reports that the turbine may be manufactured in India, and that this may entail a delay of two months. This is yet another instance of prevarication. Replacing a turbine at a nuclear power plant will take a lot longer than two months. As usual, no official clarification has been forthcoming from Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd or its regulator, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. If the reports about the damaged turbine are true, then it is cause for serious concern. The delay in commissioning is the least of the problems; the damaged turbine spotlights far more fundamental issues that impinge on the long-term viability and safety of the reactor. It vindicates allegations by observers and civil society about the compromised quality control and assurance system in India, and raises troubling and as yet unanswered questions about the substandard quality of equipment purchased from Russia.

The manner in which Koodankulam Units 1 and 2 have been constructed represent everything that is wrong with the Indian nuclear establishment. Equipment for the nuclear reactor and related infrastructure arrived way before they were erected, and had to spend years exposed to corrosive sea-air. Instrumentation and other cables that had to be laid before the construction of the containment dome arrived well after the dome was completed. To “manage” this, Indian engineers demolished portions of the containment dome to insert several kilometres of cabling. This is not only unprecedented in nuclear history, but also extremely worrisome for two reasons – first, it compromises the integrity of the containment dome; second, it highlights the casual and unplanned manner in which an extremely delicate and highly risky facility such as a nuclear reactor is actually being costructed.

Many components and critical equipment were manufactured by corruption-tainted companies that had reportedly used substandard raw material. Where countries like China and Bulgaria, which also received such substandard components, held Russian manufacturers to account and forced them to replace or repair such components, Indian authorities continue to deny that any such problem exists. To make matters worse, the entire exercise is shrouded in unnecessary secrecy with NPCIL and the AERB either remaining mum or communicating with partial truths or outright lies.

For these problems to happen at a nuclear reactor that has been at the focus of massive public attention makes us shudder to think what is being passed off in other less visible nuclear projects. While Indian reactors have had an average lead time of 5 months between attaining criticality and commencing commercial production, Koodankulam’s Unit 1 will take more than two years to meet this milestone if ever it does.

We urge the Prime Minister’s office to commission an enquiry into the irregularities at Koodankulam Units 1 and 2, including an interrogation into how such a shoddy plant managed to secure safety, environmental and quality clearances. Such a move will inspire confidence in the minds of public regarding the intentions of the Government.

Sincerely,

Admiral (Retd) L. Ramdas, former Chief of Staff, Indian Navy, Raigad, Maharashtra

Lalita Ramdas, environment and women’s rights activist, Raigad, Maharashtra

E.A.S. Sarma, I.A.S. (Retd), former Union Secretary of Power, Vishakapatnam

M. G. Devasahayam, I.A.S. (Retd), Chennai

Medha Patkar, National Alliance of People’s Movements

Aruna Roy, Social Activist, MKSS

Nikhil Dey, Social Activist, MKSS

Dr. Suvrat Raju, Scientist, Bengaluru

Dr. M.V. Ramana, Scientist, Princeton, USA

Dr. K. Babu Rao, Scientist (Retd), Hyderabad

Dr. T. Swaminathan, Professor (Retd), IIT-Madras

Dr. Atul Chokshi, Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Praful Bidwai, Columnist, New Delhi

Arati Chokshi, Social Activist, Bengaluru

Achin Vanaik, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, New Delhi

G. Sundarrajan, Poovulagin Nanbargal, Chennai

Dr. S.P. Udayakumar, PMANE, Nagercoil

Nityanand Jayaraman, writer and social activist, Chennai

Gabriele Dietrich, NAPM, Madurai