8/7/2019 Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe- Lessons for India
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Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe:
Lessons for India
GRK Murty
8/7/2019 Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe- Lessons for India
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It was a once-in-a-century kind of an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude on
Richter scale, followed by a gigantic tsunami, that hit Japan badly. As
though it was not enough, Japan faced the worst nuclear crisis since the
Second World War at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The
reported partial meltdown of radioactive fuel rods, release of
radioactive material into the reactors’ containment vessels, pressure
buildup and the risk of explosion —all because of failure of the plant’s
cooling system —that threatened the life around the plant, have also
cast a shadow over th e ‘nuclear renaissance’ that the world is looking
forward to, for a carbon-free source of electricity.
True, nuclear accidents, like terrorist attacks, make a deep furrow in
public’s consciousness. And paradoxically, technological development
appears to have bred more risk-aversion than otherwise. But withoutrisk-taking there will be no technological advancement, and nor will
there be any betterment in human welfare. Just as we have not given
up offshore drilling for oil, despite the collapse of a rig in the Mexican
Bay, we cannot give up nuclear power production. All that we need to
do is to learn from the Japanese nuclear crisis how to manage risk but
not to be cowed down by it.
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That said, let’s take a look at the accident for some take -home
lessons. No doubt, the crisis is an outcome of the earthquake and
tsunami; nevertheless, the sequential order of events reported to have
happened tells a different story: one, immediately after the tremors,
the reactors were automatically shut down; two, the diesel generator
that was supposed to pump water into the reactor in the event of
power failure to cool the reactor core failed to function; three, the
batteries did not run for long; four, nor was there enough alternate
inventory of water for ensuring cooling of the reactors, as is indicated
by the fact of plant authorities’ resorting to pumping in seawater
immediately. Cumulatively, pressure was built up in the reactors
leading to, perhaps, meltdown of fuel rods, explosions and release of
radioactive steam/plume into the atmosphere. This story forces one to
wonder if the backup machinery was fit enough to perform the function
of the principal equipment. Which is why, what is needed is to revisit
the functioning of all our reactors with a safety audit and ensure that
requisite systems are in place to manage all predictable eventualities.
We need to constantly evaluate the safety requirements and their
suitableness to manage risks. It is commonsensical that India’s growing
economy needs increased supply of power. And nuclear energy is the
way forward for India to reduce its reliance on external sources for
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energy and also to cut the emission of carbon dioxide, while, of course,
meeting the surging demands for electricity.
Secondly, in the intensity of the Japanese catastrophe, what is lost
sight of is: failure to communicate about the happenings at the nuclear
plant site clearly in unambiguous terms and promptly, as is reflected in
the exasperation of Japan’s Prime Minister when he, seeing the
television reports about the explosion before he heard it from the
Tokyo Power Company, blurted, “What in the world is going on?”
One important lesson that Indian nuclear power regulatory
authorities must learn is: facilitate communication about the failures, if
any —however small and inconsequential they might be —so that
people’s confidence can be won. And more importantly, it alone paves
the way for the much-needed speedy correction of the situation.
If India has to sustain its current rate of economic growth, what is
required is, not saying goodbye to nuclear power production, but
staying the course —diligently managing the risks associated with the
generation of the contemplated 40,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2030.
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