Perception management is the biggest challenge for Indian nuclear programme, according to Dr Srikumar Banerjee, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy.

According to him, the “trigger point” for public protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant was a mock evacuation drive undertaken by the Department as per stipulations of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

“Certain stipulations laid down by the Atomic Energy Board to ensure public safety and as a part of that we had to conduct a mock evacuation drive for people living in villages within five km radius. However, people got skeptical and assumed that they were going to be permanently evacuated and started protesting,” Mr Banerjee told newspersons.

He was in the city to deliver a special lecture on “Materials Challenges for Indian Nuclear Programme” organised by the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute here. Lack of awareness about the safety and benefits of nuclear power plants is one of the key reasons for public outrage, he said.

Haripur nuclear plant

The Department of Atomic Energy would initiate discussions on the nuclear plant in Haripur in East Midnapore district of West Bengal only after the Kudankulam units are operational.

“We are hopeful that both the reactor units with a generating capacity of 1,000 MW each will be operational by the end of this year. It is only after that we will initiate any discussion on setting up of a nuclear plant at Haripur,” he said.

However, the West Bengal Government had earlier said that it would not allow the setting up of the proposed plant at Haripur.

The State Power Minister, Mr Manish Gupta, had clarified that the State Government has decided to scrap the proposal.

> shobha@thehindu.co.in

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