Date:13/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/13/stories/2008121359730800.htm

Tamil Nadu

Meet throws light on eco surveillance carried out around nuclear installations

Staff Reporter

“Contribution of nuclear energy has to be increased considerably”

Nagercoil: The Department of Atomic Energy gave utmost importance to safety of the environment and public in addition to its occupational workers. As a matter of policy and a statutory requirement, environmental surveillance and monitoring were carried out around all the nuclear installations of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) covering a radius of 30 km.

There were three categories of environmental monitoring pre-operational, operational and in case of emergency.

The environmental monitoring carried out prior to the commissioning of Kudankulam Nuclear power station could be called as baseline studies.

Such a study was initiated by four regional universities under Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), a wing of DAE, the details of which are given in Coordinated Research Projects on Kudankulam Baseline Studies. Co-ordination and monitoring members of the committee reviewed the progress of the studies and suggested modifications and mid-course corrections, said A.G.Hegde, Head, Environmental Survey Section, Bhaba Atomic Research Centre. He was addressing the National Seminar on Baseline Studies on Kudankulam Environment held in Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, on Friday.

He said that the feedback received by the members were implemented and in the 9th meeting which was being hosted at Scott Christian College Nagercoil, the findings of the studies were presented in the seminar.

The baseline data would be useful in evaluating the environmental impact of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power station on sound scientific basis and statistically valid manner.

The seminar was sponsored by, Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, and organised by the Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College (Autonomous). The organising secretary of the seminar Godwin Wesley said that India being a poor fuel resource country, there was a need to tap every fuel resources to meet its energy needs. The contribution of nuclear energy, therefore, has to be increased considerably. Environmental monitoring was mandatory for the construction and operational phases of a nuclear power project. The seminar would help the public to understand better the various aspects of environmental monitoring carried out through the Kudankulam baseline studies.

Around 25 eminent nuclear scientists including. Kushwaha, Health, safety and environment group, S.G.Markandeya, Scientific secretary, BRNS, P.P.Chandrachoodan, Programme Officer, BRNS, A.G. Hegde, Head, Environment safety section, Health Physics Division, from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai and M. P. Rajan, Environmental Survey Laboratory, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project delivered talks in the seminar. More than 250 delegates including professors, researchers and students participated. Principal S. Chellakumar Rose and Dean of Sciences S. Prasanna Kumar spoke.