Japan’s nuclear crisis has taken a turn for the worse with nuclear radiation being detected in Tokyo. Japan’s Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant had exploded on Saturday, a day after a massive earthquake damaged the facility’s cooling system.
This nuclear crisis in Japan, made Indian Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr.Jairam Ramesh, come up with additional safeguards that would be put in place before giving environmental clearance to the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. Mr.Ramesh said the Prime Minister has made a detailed statement in the Parliament and asked the nuclear power corporation to relook into the safety systems and designing details of the project.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also assured the country by ordering an immediate technical review of India’s atomic plants to check if they can withstand the impact of large natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes.
The Prime Minister further said Indian nuclear plants have, in the past, met safety standards during major natural calamities like the Gujarat earthquake in January 26, 2002 and the December 2004 tsunami.
The Jaitapur project would be built in collaboration with French firm Areva. The project has been going through rough times, as residents of the region argue that it would harm the local environment and put people at risk.