Who pays in case of accident at Kudankulam, asks PM Manmohan Singh

Onlanka News – by Walter Jayawardhana

According to a matter raised by the New Delhi Tele Vision (NDTV) the liability of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Chennai has become a big security concern for people living in close proximity to the power generating facility.

The new concern has arisen with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh questioning the Department of Atomic Energy’s decision to waive its legal right to claim damages against the NPP’s Russian suppliers in case of an nuclear accident like that of the Fukushima accident in Japan.

For some time the Kudunkulam nuclear plant has been a secucrity concern for Sri Lanka since several Nothern cities in the island are close to Kudunkulam as far as an accident is concerned.

According to a NDTV item broadcast On Thursday, “ NDTV disclosed that Dr. Singh, who is also the Minister for Atomic Energy, has objected to a request by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. — the operator of the Kudankulam facility — to waive its right to recourse under Section 17 of the Nuclear Liability Act if an accident in the yet-to-be-built units 3 and 4 results from faulty equipment.”

“A senior PMO official confirmed to The Hindu that the Prime Minister had raised certain questions and that the DAE’s answers were being awaited.” (EOM)