TIRUNELVELI: Founder of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) SP Udayakumar on Thursday blamed the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for not being transparent about the condition of two steam generators that became stuck in a rock while it was being loaded on a barge near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP).
In a communication, Udayakumar said a huge amount of money was being spent on the rescue operation of the Russian-made steam generators meant for Unit 5 and Unit 6 of KKNPP.
"Experts from Mumbai and different parts of the country were involved in the rescue operation. Tug boats from Sri Lanka were called in to drag the barge from the rock. However, the generators could not be recovered from the barge, which was also damaged on its bottom side. Officials have decided to construct a road from the shore to lift the generators using cranes. There is a situation in which the DAE is not even accountable to the Parliament. Opposition leaders are not talking about this," he added.
Udayakumar further alleged that people may be termed anti-national if they ask about the information on terms and conditions of the insurance taken on the steam generators. "I heard that if these steam generators, worth about Rs 670 crores, are not recovered, Russia needs two more years to manufacture new ones. Such delay may cause a loss to the country's exchequer," he said.
The barge that was transporting the two steam generators from Thoothukudi harbour to KKNPP's unloading jetty was stuck in the rock located 300 metres away from KKNPP.