Russian equipment for Kudankulam nuke plant found faulty

Some of the Russian supplied machineries meant for Kudankulam were found damaged even before their installation, according to a top nuclear engineer.

“A team of Russians was flown in to get the machines repaired. The fact that the new machineries got faulty even before the reactors became operational is disturbing,” said a nuclear engineer with Bhabha atomic research centre, Trombay.

The engineer said the machineries were imported from Russia over the last ten years. Managers of the KNPP were unavailable for comments as many of them are on Diwali holidays.

In spite of the agitation by the locals against the nuclear power plant, the last couple of weeks saw Russian technicians and engineers escorted by commandos of the Central Industrial Security Force entering the pant. This has given rise to speculation among Kudankulam residents that the reactor was being loaded with the real fuel.The DAE officials are on record saying the trial-runs with dummy fuel were a success.

Mohan Raj, convener ofGreen Movement, Tamil Nadu, said there was nothing surprising in the machines getting damaged. “They are being transported through sea and there is every chance of them getting damaged during the journey and shifting,” said Raj. Pushparayan, leader of the PMANE said work at Kudankulam has come to a standstill following the agitation. “The scientists and technicians are virtually under house arrest because of our arrest,” he said.