japan’s nuclear catastrophe- lessons for india

8/7/2019 Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe- Lessons for India

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Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe:

Lessons for India

GRK Murty



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.



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



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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