Asserting that the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant belonged to the "highest safety category" of plants currently in operation in the world, the Centre today sought dismissal of petitions in the Madras High Court against the Rs 14,000 crore Indo-Russian project.
In a joint counter-affidavit to a batch of petitions, the Department of Atomic Energy and Atomic Energy Commission said no technological endeavour was free from certain amount of risk, but assured that the authorities were fully prepared to meet and face any eventuality at the KKNPP in Tamil Nadu.
The affidavit said since the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), empowered to enforce safety provisions under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, in all the DAE units, had been doing this in a very transparent and effective manner there was no need for fresh review of KKNPP.
A high-level committee of the AERB for review and safety of nuclear power plants in the country in the light of Fukoshima accident in Japan had submitted its report and implementation of the recommendations were being pursued with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
NPCIL suggestions would be taken into account while giving clearance for subsequent commissioning of stages, as applicable, the affidavit said.
It said the 1000 MW each KKNPP reactors 1 & 2 "are categorised as Generation III Plus plants meaning thereby have the latest safety features."
The Chernobyl and Fukoshima mishaps were no doubt among the worst calamities but, KKNPP had been designed in such a manner that similar disasters could not happen, it said adding it was also well protected from a possible tsunami or other disasters.