If safety measures not met, will shut Kudankulam plant: SC

The Supreme Court has warned the Centre that it will be forced to stop the loading of nuclear fuel into the Kudankulam plant if the safety measures of the plant are not met.

The court also said that the Centre must look into the environmental and safety aspect of the plant and cautioned the Central government on this crucial issue.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, which operates all nuclear power plants in the country, however responded in an affidavit to the Court that it was fully prepared to handle all the disasters that might occur at the plant.

It assured the court that all safety measures had been implemented. They reasoned that even in the event of a Fukushima-like disaster they would be fully prepared with the best safety measures.

The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal that had been filed against the Madras High Court order to allow loading of fuel in the nuclear power plant.

The petitioners had alleged that the 13 safety measures that were part of a standard protocol laid down by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for fuel loading at nuclear plants had not been met.

Despite all the assurances, the court still observed that they would not hesitate to stall the operations in case any irregularities were found. The court will continue hearing the matter on 4 October.

(with inputs from CNN-IBN)