It could not have come at a worse. While several representatives of U.S. company General Electric met March 14 in New Delhi to find out how they would secure a share of the Indian nuclear market, several thousand miles away explosions resounded in central Fukushima Japan. Is cause for concern in many countries that previously boasted enthusiastically and without reserve the virtues of the atom.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh immediately ordered an audit of safety systems in central India, while the mandarin and the nuclear establishment scientists were working to dispel the fears of public opinion. Since the recent agreements concluded with the Americans, French and Russians on the implementation of mégacentrales, people are increasingly distrustful.
The government hopes that through these international agreements, to increase its production capacity of nuclear power 4780 megawatts (MW) today to 63 000 megawatts within the next two years. In addition, construction sites chosen are often located in areas officially designated as susceptible to earthquakes, or being submerged by a tsunami.
What is the safety record of our nuclear plants? So far, they have had no major accident. However, several incidents have attracted the attention of civil society. In August 2003, a leak in a reprocessing facility in Kalpakkam in southern countries, led to the irradiation of 6 employees.
Similarly, in November 2009, fifty employees Kaiga plant in the state of Karnataka, were irradiated after drinking water from a water fountain contaminated. One of the plant proposed to be built in Jaitapur, on the west coast of India. It will be equipped with EPR reactors supplied by the French company Areva and have a combined production capacity of 10,000 MW.
Yet, from 1985 to 2005, no fewer than 92 earthquakes were recorded in the area, the strongest, which occurred in 1993, reaching 6.2 on the Richter scale. The area is officially designated as Zone III on the scale of seismic hazard, Zone V denoting the maximum risk. Commerzbank, the German establishment who supported the project, it is also removed even before the Japanese attack, citing "risk factors".
The other site is controversial in the state of Gujarat, Mithi Virdi. The plant would be equipped with General Electric engines and have a combined capacity of 8000 MW. Opponents of the project are wondering why they chose such a location, scored in seismic zone III and beaten in January 2001 by a quake that killed thousands of people! The expressions of opposition to these two plants, as well as the site Kovada Matsyalesam in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which is scheduled implementation of a new nuclear plant, continue to grow .
The fact that the secret covers what is after all a civilian energy production has not helped. "The Indian nuclear power plants are not subject to the law of environmental protection which regulates energy production facilities of other types," said Wilfred D'Costa, one of the coordinators of the Coalition for the Indian organization nuclear disarmament and peace.
"They are beyond the scope of the Act on the Right to Information [RTI Right to Information Act] and, worse, are covered by the Official Secrets Act [Official Secrets Act]." 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh immediately ordered an audit of safety systems in central India, while the mandarin and the nuclear establishment scientists were working to dispel the fears of public opinion. Since the recent agreements concluded with the Americans, French and Russians on the implementation of mégacentrales, people are increasingly distrustful.
The government hopes that through these international agreements, to increase its production capacity of nuclear power 4780 megawatts (MW) today to 63 000 megawatts within the next two years. In addition, construction sites chosen are often located in areas officially designated as susceptible to earthquakes, or being submerged by a tsunami.
What is the safety record of our nuclear plants? So far, they have had no major accident. However, several incidents have attracted the attention of civil society. In August 2003, a leak in a reprocessing facility in Kalpakkam in southern countries, led to the irradiation of 6 employees.
Similarly, in November 2009, fifty employees Kaiga plant in the state of Karnataka, were irradiated after drinking water from a water fountain contaminated. One of the plant proposed to be built in Jaitapur, on the west coast of India. It will be equipped with EPR reactors supplied by the French company Areva and have a combined production capacity of 10,000 MW.
Yet, from 1985 to 2005, no fewer than 92 earthquakes were recorded in the area, the strongest, which occurred in 1993, reaching 6.2 on the Richter scale. The area is officially designated as Zone III on the scale of seismic hazard, Zone V denoting the maximum risk. Commerzbank, the German establishment who supported the project, it is also removed even before the Japanese attack, citing "risk factors".
The other site is controversial in the state of Gujarat, Mithi Virdi. The plant would be equipped with General Electric engines and have a combined capacity of 8000 MW. Opponents of the project are wondering why they chose such a location, scored in seismic zone III and beaten in January 2001 by a quake that killed thousands of people! The expressions of opposition to these two plants, as well as the site Kovada Matsyalesam in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which is scheduled implementation of a new nuclear plant, continue to grow .
The fact that the secret covers what is after all a civilian energy production has not helped. "The Indian nuclear power plants are not subject to the law of environmental protection which regulates energy production facilities of other types," said Wilfred D'Costa, one of the coordinators of the Coalition for the Indian organization nuclear disarmament and peace.
"They are beyond the scope of the Act on the Right to Information [RTI Right to Information Act] and, worse, are covered by the Official Secrets Act [Official Secrets Act]."
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