No objections to Kudankulam nuclear power project: Lanka

Colombo:  Sri Lanka today said it had not objected to the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu and underlined that India has every right to use nuclear technology in meeting the requirements of electrical energy. “Sri Lanka has not brought up the issue of the safety of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant against India’s voting at the 19th session of the UNHRC,” Lanka’s Atomic Energy Authority said dismissing media reports that Colombo was against the project. [caption id=“attachment_277528” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] The reports had quoted Lankan energy minister Champika Ranawaka as saying that Sri Lanka was to refer the matter at the IAEA sessions in September since the country feared that any radiation from the plant will affect it. However, Atomic Energy Authority’s chairman R L Wijayawardana denied any such move. Recalling that both Sri Lanka and India are members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the statement said Sri Lanka fully understands the need of utilising nuclear energy for electricity generation. India has every right to use nuclear technology in meeting the requirements of electrical energy. “Sri Lankan Government has neither opposed nor registered their protest for any Nuclear power plant on Indian soil. It is their sovereign right.” Wijayawardena said that Ranawaka headed the Sri Lanka delegation to the IAEA General Conference where he visited the Koodankulam nuclear project with Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission. “Therefore, the statement made to give the impression that Sri Lanka is protesting to Kudankulam project is baseless and malicious.  “As there are power plants in India close to our country, the only possible thing we can do is to make a bilateral agreement with India under the provisions of these conventions to exchange of information of status of their power plants and emergency plans and to obtain assistance in case of a nuclear accident in India”, he said. PTI