The nuclear meltdown in Japan has exploded the myth of nuclear energy being the safest energy substitute. It is proved beyond doubt that the risks posed by nuclear plants are far more devastating than the thermal and fossil energy alternatives. Unfortunately, the nuclear accidents which occurred earlier at Chernobyl in the then U.S.S.R and in Three Mile Island in the U.S., had failed to open the eyes of our policymakers, who went gaga over the nuclear deal with the U.S. While the Japanese authorities have done a commendable job by evacuating over 5 lakh people from a 20 km radius from the Fukushima nuclear plant in a record time after the tsunami struck the coast, such an infallible mechanism in the Indian context is doubtful, especially in a thickly populated city like Chennai where the Kalpakkam nuclear plant is located.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
Kadapa, A.P.