On March 11, Japan was hit by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, followed by a devastating tsunami and the death toll in this tragedy has gone past 10,000. The tsunami in its sweep also hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the fears of radiation have consumed the international community, though no deaths have been reported due to the nuclear disaster as yet.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which is monitoring the developments in Japan has said that the “situation remains very serious”. For now, radioactivity in the environment, foodstuffs and water – including the sea – is a matter of concern in the vicinity of the Fukushima plant and beyond. Current levels indicate a need for further comprehensive monitoring.

The Director General of IAEA, Yukiya Amano has proposed a high-level IAEA conference on nuclear safety in Vienna soon to comprehensively look at:

• an initial assessment of the Fukushima accident, its impact and consequences;
• considering the lessons that need to be learned;
• launching the process of strengthening nuclear safety;
• and strengthening the response to nuclear accidents and emergencies.

The Japanese disaster has raised the issue of nuclear safety and security and countries across the globe are seized of the matter. Germany immediately announced that it was taking seven of its 17 reactors offline for three months while the country reconsidered plans to extend the life of its nuclear power plants. Switzerland also declared shut down of its nuclear power programme and has urged neighbouring France to do so in the border region.

Of the 19 nuclear accidents since 1961, the Chernobyl (Pripyat, Ukraine) accident of 1986 has been the worst having claimed 56 lives and causing over 4,000 cases of fatal cancer, the most so far. Over three lakh people were forcibly resettled away from affected areas soon after the incident as fears are that majority of them have been exposed to a comparatively high dose of radiation, and there’s a possibility of developing cancer, leukaemia and DNA malformation in the next 10 to 40 years. The next accident was of 2004 at Fukui Prefecture, Japan which took five lives.

The Chernobyl nightmare was classified at Level 7 (major accident) by the IAEA’s International Nuclear Events Scale (see graphic above) while the Fukushima accident was revised to Level 5 from Level 4, indicating the accident to have wider consequences. For decades, Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are reminders of nuclear power generation gone awry.