Yesterday was the 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
Russia, which owned the plant, marked the event by calling for "Stricter Nuclear Safety Rules".
Ukraine, which actually ended up holding the Chernobyl baby, said it still needs to mobilise $300 million to bury the mess.
Belarus, Russia & Ukraine, which together hosted most of the 600,000 people exposed to high levels of radiation, have, in recent years, significantly reduced the benefits they were paying the sufferers. Belarus banned a traditional annual protest march in Minsk and relegated a planned evening rally to the outskirts.
The European Union, announced a relief package of $156 million.
The United States, till yesterday stuck between Obama's birth and Osama's life, did not make a big ado about the anniversary.
Japan, as always, politely asked to be excused.
The United Nations: Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, after a recent visit to to Chernobyl, came out with recommendations for the future. These mainly revolve around the flexi-words: review, study, tighten, analyse and the like. He also informs us that, 25 years on, a fresh safety shield is in the process of being installed around the blown reactor. Better late than never.
India, which was a Gandhian bystander and saw nothing, heard nothing and said nothing when it happened, marked the silver anniversary by declaring its commitment to accelerated development of new nuclear power capacity.
At a high level meeting the Prime Minister gave the go ahead for the Jaitapur nuclear power project in the western state of Maharashtra. (Not very far from Koyna Nagar, the site of a major earthquake in 1967). When ready, it will be the largest nuclear power complex anywhere in the world.
Per the official fact sheet, it is the best thing that ever happened.
India Takes Precautions
The high level committee which gave the go-ahead to the Jaitapur plant, was briefed by The Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, a leading bureaucrat, whose minions planned the project; and by the CEO of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, a leading technocrat of the Government of India, who will implement the project.
The Prime Minister announced that
- a super regulatory authority will be formed to regulate nuclear disasters,
- the protesting residents of Jaitapur have been told that they are totally safe, and
- in any case, a generous compensation package is being formulated. Just in case.
Left unstated was the obvious fact that there was no need to hear any dissenting voices or anyone who might actually know something about nuclear safety.
Classified Information
While it is well known that India is quickly tying up massive uranium supplies dirt cheap from Ukraine to feed its rising nuclear appetite, it is also learnt from highly reliable sources that:
- India is setting up a Nuclear Safety Consulting Corporation and a Nuclear Disaster Management Corporation, both to be chaired by Suresh Kalmadi, who has been whisked off to Tihar jail in Delhi. Ensconced in the famous jail, away from prying media, Mr. Kalmadi, along with his co-chair, A Raja, the former Telecom Minister, assisted by top managers of various Indian companies already lodged there, will work out business plans for the two new ventures.
- The Human Resources ministry is working with various countries across the globe to determine their requirements of radio-active human beings. The radio-active body shopping business alone is expected to take India to the ranks of G5. Far out-shining the software body-shops we have set up over the last three decades.
For the first time this ancient civilisation has managed to get into a win-win situation.
- If our plants are indeed safer than safe, the Safety Consulting Corporation will rake it in.
- If, on the other hand, they are not, we will have a head start on Disaster Management. Apart from expert advice, every country will need people willing to go in to disaster sites for damage control. What better than ready-made radio-active people? Of which we will have millions!
