NUCLEAR PLANT POLLUTION
Power starving world took shelter under the umbrella of nuclear plants. The idea sprang from the energy released by atom bombs. It is very difficult to have a nuclear war. The people became wiser. They channeled the atomic power into energy through atomic plants little knowing that the radiation from these plants would be a hazardous- even more- as that from ultra violet rays of the sun. Man cannot gain immunity from it. The nuclear plants are good only till they do not let radioactive fumes come out .It may come at intervals affecting animal world including man and poison food too.
To remember a few-Ural mountains in Russia in 1957-58,UK in 1957,USA in 1961,Luceans Vad in Switzerland in 1969 ,Russia in 1974,USA again in 1975 and 1979,Tsuruga in Japan in1981,Buenos Aires in Argentina in1983,Oklahowa in USA in 1986,Three mile Island in USA in 1979 continuing up to 1987. Another study reported other 151 accidents in 14 countries between 1971 and 1984. A private body in USA reported 3000 accidents in Nuclear Power Projects in the USA in 1985 and 2,300 in 1984 besides 750 emergency shut downs in 1984.
It looks rather strange that even after so many accidents polluting the world atmosphere there are still near about 450 nuclear plants supplying electricity to 26 countries. France tops the list with 70% dependence on nuclear power. USA comes next from the bottom with 18%.The former USSR had 41 plants for its 11 % nuclear power generation.
In India there have been accidents and leakage at Tarapur exposing 3,000 workers. Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam and CANDV safety at Narora, Kakrapur, Kaiga and Nagarjunasagar plant too. Sugatha Kumari the well known Malayalam poetess and many other luminaries formed a group that came to the conclusion that “The radiation hazard was intrinsic design and constructions of all reactors were liable to routinely release radioactivity and harmful radio-nuclides.”Even after this warning the clout of Indian nuclear scientists has been making efforts to have more nuclear plants.
It is good that the movement against this most hazardous pollutant is gaining grounds in the USA and some European countries. About 600 orders for atomic reactors were cancelled. Some of the states in the USA have banned commissioning of existing plants too. In India there is no organization to investigate. The affected workers are dismissed and new ones are appointed. Let us hope that some non government organization in India too would force the government to put an end to these most hazardous pollutant projects and to have energy give importance to the plants based on sea waves, wind and sun rays that are non pollutant.