Madras HC dismisses PIL petition against Kudankulam project
- The Madras High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed in 2017 against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP)
- The PIL was filed against the first pour of concrete for units 3 and 4 of the Project without complying with norms on restricting the population growth in the sterilized zone — the area within a 5-km radius of the plant.
The Kudankulam power plant
- It is located in the coastal Tamil Nadu.
- It is a Civilian Nuclear Power Plant, built by India in joint-collaboration with Russia.
- There are a total of 7 operating nuclear power plants in India, and all of these facilities are a part of India’s Critical Information Infrastructure.
Nuclear energy
- It comes from splitting atoms in a reactor to heat water into steam, turn a turbine and generate electricity.
- Inside nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors and their equipment contain and control the chain reactions, most commonly fueled by Uranium-235, to produce heat through fission.
Significance for India
- With the availability of Thorium, India has the potential to be the first nation to realise the dream of a fossil fuel-free nation.
- Nuclear energy will also relieve the nation of about $100 billion annually which we spend on importing petroleum and coal.
- Nuclear power provides a relatively clean, high-density source of reliable energy with an international presence.
Prelims Takeaway
- Nuclear energy