Emergency Preparedness at Koodankulam: A BIG LIE
KUDANKULAM ANTI-NUCLEAR SATYAGRAHA, INDIA, 19 Jun 2012
People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy – TRANSCEND Media Service
[1] June 2011:
AERB claims that the Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) Manual was prepared by them and District Authorities in June 2011.[a]
[2] April 2, 2012:
Almost a year later, S. P. Udayakumar asked the Tirunelveli Collector for a copy of the EPP Manual. Instead of giving a copy of the Manual, the PA (General) forwarded the letter to Public Information Officer of the Koodankulam nuclear power project on April 16, 2012.[b]
[3] April 25, 2012:
Instead of dispatching a copy of the Manual, Mr. V. Rajesh, Assistant Public Information Officer, KKNPP, wrote to S. P. Udayakumar asking for a Postal Order or Demand Draft for Rs. 10 as they could not accept court fee stamp that I had sent to the Collector. A time-buying effort![c] An IPO for Rs. 10 was sent.
[4] June 9, 2012:
Tirunelveli district administration carried out an off-site emergency exercise at Nakkanery village at a distance of about 7 km from KKNPP; alert messages were sent to “all the relevant officials including the NPCIL, DAE, AERB and District Collector and other District Officials.” The “exercise was oberved by the representatives from AERB, NPCIL HQ and other officials of NPCIL.” It is not mentioned if they used the EPP Manual or not.[d]
[5] June 11, 2012:
Mr. S. K. Shrivastava, Central Public Information Officer at NPCIL Mumbai office has referred to the “Manual of safety drill given to State Government Administration by NPCIL” and promised that “the information will be provided to you as soon as it is received from the concern section.”[e]
Did they really prepare the EPP Manual in June 2011?
If yes, why does it take so much time for them to give us a copy of that?
Did Tirunelveli Collector and AERB prepare it (as AERB claims)?
Or did NPCIL give it to State Government Adminsitration (as NPCIL claims)?
Did they use this Manual in the Nakkanery exercise?
Has the Collector or other officers actually seen this EPP Manual?
What is really going on ?
GOD ALONE KNOWS!!!
Do we conduct fire drill just in one school in some remote village or in all schools all over the country?
Do we conduct safety drill just in one movie theater in an unknown hamlet or in all theaters all over the country?
Should we perform nuclear emergency drills only in Nakkanery or in all villages and towns at least in the 30 km radius of the nuclear power plant?
CITIZENS OF INDIA, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS!!!
NOTES:
[a] In a letter No. AERB/SEC/46/2012/1643 dated April 17, 2012, Mr. R. Bhattacharya of AERB has written to Adv. M. Radhakrishnan in Chennai: “[T]he Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) Manual of KKNPP – 1&2 has been reviewed/concurred/approved as appropriate by AERB and District Authorities as per the normal safety review process as laid down in AERB Codes and Guides and final copies of the Manual were submitted by Site to AERB in June 2011.”
[b] Letter No. Na. Ka. E2/12401/2012 (567/12) DATED 16.04.2012.
[c] Letter No. NPCIL/KKNPP/RTI/2012/S/28 dated April 25, 2012.
[d] Press Release by PRO, Tirunelveli District dated. June 9, 2012.
[e] Letter No. NPCIL/VSB/CPIO/1813/KKNPP/2012/867 dated June 11, 2012.
People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)
Idinthakarai & P. O. 627 104
Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 19 Jun 2012.
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