Kudankulam Nuclear Plant can be stalled if safety concerns aren’t met: SC

The Supreme Court of (India) on Thursday warned that the commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant could be stalled if safety concerns of the people in the vicinity are not met.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan underlined that money spent on the nuclear plant is less important than the safety of local people.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who argued on behalf of the protesting groups like the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), argued that the government wanted to commission the plant at any cost as it thought it had invested huge money in it.

After hearing arguments of Bhushan, the bench said, “Safety is first. It is the concern of all. We will not hesitate to stop the plant if we find that the mandatory safety requirements have not been taken care of at the site.”

The bench asked the government to explain if all the seventeen safety measures recommended by AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) were met.

PMANE leader SP Udayakumar welcomed the Supreme Court's observation, saying the apex court admitted the fact that money is not more important than people’s lives.

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd has claimed in an affidavit that Kudankulam nuclear plant was completely safe even without sticking to all safety measures recommended by the AERB out-of “abundant caution”.