Kudankulam:
Delay in operationalizing the nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam power plant in Tamil Nadu may damage them, a top Russian engineer associated with the project has said, as the Centre tries its best to overcome local opposition through a dialogue it initiated earlier this week.
Maintaining that these two Russian-made reactors were among the safest in the world, Deputy Chief of the Russian Mission at Kudankulam, nuclear engineer Kvasa Alexander told NDTV that these were more than 99 % ready but "many jobs" would have to be repeated because of this delay.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Alexander listed the factors that were causing serious concern. Stagnant water in reactors had an adverse effect on the reactors, electrical systems and transformers cannot be switched off once they are switched on and there's a shortage of Indian technicians due to the agitation, he pointed out.
"We waited patiently for good mind to prevail on the agitators," Mr Alexander told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
The agitation by area residents who fear about the safety of the reactors has meant that work has been stalled for a month now. The Centre has pinned its hopes on dialogue between an expert panel it has appointed and Tamil Nadu representatives. The first meeting between the two groups was held on Tuesday with anti-nuclear activists saying the protests would continue but so would the dialogue.
Protests have continued near the site despite the resounding thumbs-up given to the nuclear plant by former President and one of the country's top scientists APJ Abdul Kalam. Giving a clean chit to safety measures at the nuclear plant, Mr Kalam had suggested a 10-point development plan for the people of the area. The protesters want the nuclear power plant to be shut down and converted to a gas-based power plant.
The 2 X 1000 MW nuclear power plant is being built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) with Russian technology and equipment.