At about 2.45 am on Tuesday, as south India slept, the Tamil Nadu-based Kudankulam nuclear power plant supplied electricity to homes in the southern grid for the first time.
Here are the latest developments:
According to the Department of Atomic Energy after two hours of operation the plant has been shut down for planned checks and strainer clean-up. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, which operates the plant, says the atomic reactor is working normally and that power generation was stopped after two hours as part of standard testing procedures.
The electricity-starved southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry can hope to get some relief from long power cuts once regular supply begins from the Rs 17000-crore plant with two Russian-made, 1000-MW nuclear reactors, situated in Kudankulam, around 650 km south of Chennai.
As of now, only one-tenth of the installed capacity of power from the plant is being supplied to the southern grid. Once the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board gives a go-ahead after more testing, more power will be supplied from the plant, built in collaboration with Russia.
On a visit to Russia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday, "The Kudankulam nuclear power project is an important symbol of our strategic partnership. I conveyed to President Putin our commitment to fully implement the road map on civil nuclear cooperation that was signed during his visit to India in 2010. We have directed our officials to resolve all outstanding issues at the earliest."
India and Russia however could not reach a deal on the purchase of two more reactors for the plant. Clarity on the liability clause in case of accidents is holding up this deal.
Locals and activists have been agitating for the last two years against the plant, demanding its closure. Idinthakarai, which is just three kilometres away from the plant complex, has served as Ground Zero of the protests. Fishermen, who form the majority of the population that lives in the area, are worried that the nuclear plant will adversely affect marine life and hence, their livelihood.
The People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which has been spearheading the anti-Kudankulam campaign, has cited the Fukushima disaster in Japan, triggered by a massive tsunami, to draw parallels about the dangers of a nuclear plant. It has also raised various questions pertaining to the disposal of nuclear waste, besides other issues linked to the plant.
The Nuclear Power Corporation insists that the plant is safe and is "fully equipped to withstand" Fukushima-type incidents.
In May this year, the Supreme Court gave a go-ahead for the plant to begin operations, observing that it has been set up by the government for the welfare of the people and for sustainable growth. The top court observed that development of nuclear energy is important for India and allowing the plant is in larger public interest.
The court said all expert bodies were of unanimous opinion that adequate safety measures had been taken. A clutch of petitions had challenged a Madras High Court order in August last year that, while asking India's nuclear watchdog to ensure that necessary safeguards were complied with, gave the go-ahead for the loading of fuel in the plant.
