In the aftermath of the Japanese disaster, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has assured that the nuclear plants in the country are safe and that there would be continuous safety reviews.

In a statement NPCIL said “Indian nuclear plants maintain the highest levels of safety as per international norms and have withstood major natural disasters in the past. The event of Japan will be reviewed in detail in due course as the detailed information becomes available. Resulting out of such a review, any reinforcement as needed in Indian reactors will be implemented.”

The NPCIL operates 20 nuclear power reactors – as compared to 54 in Japan – with an installed capacity of 4,780 MW, including two boiling water reactors (BWRs) and the rest pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs).

Indian nuclear plants have proven their safety during the severe earthquake in Gujarat in 2001 when the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station continued to operate safely and supplied much-need energy to the affected regions, NPCIL added. Similarly, during the 2004 tsunami, which hit Tamil Nadu, the Madras Atomic Power Station was safely shutdown without any radiological consequences.

In a clarification the NPCIL Executive Director Nalinish Nagaich has taken exception to the article by columnist Praful Bidwai in which it is mentioned that India ran two of the world’s most contaminated reactors. “A large number of Parliamentary delegates and nuclear experts of Nuclear States have visited our nuclear power station at Tarapur on various occasions and are impressed with the safety and overall performance of our reactors. Unit 2 of Tarapur Atomic Power Station is not only operating safely and satisfactorily, when on March 4, 2011, it was shut down for refueling. Indeed, such a sustained performance has been possible only with very high levels of safety.”

The Executive Director further assures “The safety of nuclear power stations in India is continually assessed by knowledgeable experts.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh also ordered an immediate technical review of India’s atomic plants, if they can withstand the impact of major natural disasters.