‘We are prepared to handle an event like the Fukushima disaster’

By December, the country’s nuclear watchdog will receive a report of the safety re-evaluation of the design of the reactor that will be used at the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant in Ratnagiri district.

By December, the country’s nuclear watchdog will receive a report of the safety re-evaluation of the design of the reactor that will be used at the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant in Ratnagiri district.

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“The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board will scrutinise the report. Without a complete safety analysis, it is not possible for us to push the project for government consideration,” said Srikumar Banerjee, chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, on Thursday on the sidelines of the three-day India Nuclear Summit.

The Jaitapur plant will have six European Pressurised Reactors, imported from the French company Areva. The plant is expected to generate 10,000 megawatt power.

Banerjee said that the rules for implementation of the nuclear liability law are likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill, passed in August last year, allows the operator of a nuclear plant to seek damages from the supplier, in case of an accident due to supply of defective equipment, or sub-standard services. It has opened India’s doors to nuclear commerce with the world. However, the law has not gone down well with global suppliers, like the US.