In the editorial 'India's Uranium safeguards fail on all measures':
"There should be no sales of Australian uranium to India unless every aspect of uranium handling - from licensing of facilities to safe disposal - is first class.
"There should be no sales of Australian uranium to India unless every aspect of uranium handling - from licensing of facilities to safe disposal - is first class.
But India is a long way from first class in that respect. Its auditor-general has castigated the country's nuclear regulator on just about every aspect of its functions: from supervision of licensing, registration of nuclear radiating machines and sites, inspections, monitoring, policy development and safety standards, to emergency response and verification of the disposal of nuclear waste. It found not only was there no national policy on nuclear and radiation safety after almost 30 years, but there appeared to be little impetus to adopt world standards and best practices.
The auditor-general's report is scathing, and the conditions it evidences are dangerously lax. It is simply not acceptable at this point for Australia to sell uranium to India. Until there is credible and indisputable evidence that India's nuclear regulator is able to act independently and meets world's best practices, and that the regulator is vitally committed to staying that way, not a single load of uranium should leave Australia's shores for India."
Part ofAuditor General's report here and some news paper reports from India
2 comments:
Do you remember the Delhi University chemistry Department sold off some instrument as scrap? The scrap dealer got radiation poisoned since the Dept had not removed the radiation source before selling it as scrap!!!
Then we are assured the Kudankulam reactor is 100% safe! After all, if they are wrong, the protestors who are living around, will be dead -- and the dead ask no questions. Those who assure us that it is safe do not live there.
I remember the Delhi University incident.I also heard the story of a doctor relative who went to close a radioactive device which went out of control since nobody was available to repair it and patients would suffer otherwise, and got a huge dose of radiation. He could not have any children due to the exposure and adopted a girl. I recently enquired about him; he lives in Mumbai now.
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