A file photo of Kudankulam nuclear plant
.
New Delhi, Sept 27:
The Supreme Court today made it clear that it can stop the commissioning
of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant if it finds that the mandatory
safety requirements for it have not been put in place.
A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishanan and Deepak Misra said the safety
of the plant and the people living in its vicinity is its prime concern
and issued notices to the Centre and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
on a plea challenging the environmental clearance given to the
controversial project.
“We will not hesitate to stop the plant if we find that the mandatory
safety requirements have not been taken care of at the site,” said the
Bench while posting the case for further hearing on October 4.
The court earlier had refused to stay loading of the fuel in the plant
but had agreed to examine the risk associated with the project.
The court was hearing an appeal by social activist G. Sundarrajan
against the Madras High Court’s decision of refusing to impose any
restraint against the plant. The petitioner contended that after last
year’s nuclear disaster in Fukushima in Japan, the Atomic Energy
Regulation Board (AERB) had recommended 17 safety measures for the plant
which have not been put in place.
Judge: we can stop work on Kudankulam if safety is not ensured
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it can stop commissioning of the
Kudankulam nuclear power plant if it finds that the mandatory safety
requirements have not been followed. File photo
The safety of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and storage of nuclear
waste is of prime concern that should be addressed by the Union
government, the Supreme Court told the Centre on Thursday.
Hearing petitions relating to the plant, a Bench of Justices K. S.
Radhakrishnan and Deepak Misra told Attorney-General G. E. Vahanvati,
Solicitor-General Rohinton Nariman and Additional Solicitor-General
Mohan Parasaran, “From the first day, we are saying that safety is the
most important issue, people’s lives should be protected.”
‘Money not an issue’
When counsel Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, said the
government’s concern was that so much money had been spent on the plant,
Justice Radhakrishnan said, “That is not the issue. If we are not
satisfied with safety then we can stop it [from being commissioned].
courtesy-THE HINDU
1 comment:
Glad to see that you are posting something good for the society.
Post a Comment