While there are pro and anti groups actively campaigning for the Kudankulam Nuclear plant,the news from Japan yesterday ,after the Fukushima disaster is disturbing. This could be a shot in the arm for the anti nuclear plant protestors.A Japanese baby food manufacturer has come out with a statement that radioactive cesium has been found in its baby formula and is arranging it to withdraw its product from the market.The company is withdrawing 400,000 cans of powdered milk for infants. They suspect it could be a fall out of the Fukushima disaster.The milk powder company is situated at a distance of 200 miles from the Fukushima plant.The disturbing news is children are more susceptible to radiation exposure than adults.Excessive radiation in vegetables,sea food and water are causing grave concerns to Japanese Health Ministry.Scientists believe 80 % of the cesium released by the plant after the disaster has gone in to the pacific and from there has made its way to other oceans in the world.The Tokyo electric company estimates nearly 45 tonnes of radioactive waste water has leaked from the plant to the ocean.Another report says the leaked radioactive cesium will lose only half of its radioactivity in the next three decades.This means the livestock and human beings in this region will be exposed to radiation risk in the years ahead for decades. We have already witnessed a similar tragedy in Bhopal .Even after 25 years of the tragic incident, still the breast milk of mothers in the region contain traces of the dreaded chemicals.Even today children are still born or crippled in Bhopal.The Union government had filed a petition seeking a compensation of Rs.100 crore from Dow chemicals for environmental remediation costs. This explains why MEA is opposing sponsorship of 2012 London Olympics by DOW chemicals.
It is reported the Fukushima radioactive fallout has reached as much as 73 percent of the daily radiation emitted from Chernobyl nuclear disaster.Iodine-131, the radioactive isotope is also now spreading across the globe.Fukushima continues to leak radiation into the environment, its total radioactive output may exceed that of Chernobyl.Experts say Fukushima has ten times the amount of fresh and spent fuel as Chernobyl.Food and water in Japan is now highly contaminated.The ocean and atmosphere are said to be radio active.It is also reported people are hospitalised with radiation burns.The soil in Fukushima is contaminated .A vast majority of the land in Fukushima can not be cultivated again .Growing crops in such lands have been prohibited in Fukushima now.Chenrnobyl plant was situated in Ukraine in former Soviet union.But it is reported ,still residents in some part of South Germany are not ale to grow mushrooms due to radiation damage carried by wind.It is believed a nuclear accident in China's shores could make Korea and Japan vulnerable to radioactive exposure.Before chernobyl and Fukushima disasters,these were perceived dangers of a nuclear disaster.Now people world over know about the fall out of two dreaded nuclear disasters.It is clear that in the event of a catastrophe, the effects could be devastating.
We know the effects of natural disasters like floods,Tsunami,volcanic eruptions,cyclonic storms,heat waves,quakes etc.But that does not make us live in perpetual fear anticipating the fall outs of such disasters.A nuclear accident like Fukushima is an environment disaster.But an environment disaster of this type can be triggered by a natural disaster.Here again we can not perpetually anticipate a disaster and live in constant fear.From past experience people world over have learnt lessons to face and tackle catastrophes of this nature and moved forward .These are perceived dangers, be it a dam break or a nuclear disaster .Taking best possible preventive steps could be the remedy and move forward,rather than living perpetually perceiving danger.The government should come out with plans for nuclear reactors using alternative nuclear fuel like thorium as suggested by Abdul Kalam ,which is reported to be safer,cleaner and cheaper.It is also true ,we can not altogether do away with nuclear power generation .
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