Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairperson Srikumar Banerjee on Monday said the EPR technology proposed at Jaitapur would have to be evaluated for safety from the context of Earthquakes and tsunamis coming together. Addressing a press conference here, Dr. Banerjee and other heads of India's nuclear establishment sought to dispel myths about the accident in Japan. They were also categorical that neither India's nuclear programme nor the Jaitapur nuclear power project will...

Lauri Myllyvirta, the Finnish Greenpeace campaigner who visited the Jaitapur nuclear power project area in Ratnagiri district last year, has denied that he showed any films or other material like photos to the local people agitating against the project. In an email interview from Indonesia, Mr. Myllyvirta said these claims were absurd. He visited the area on November 20, 2010 and left the next day. On Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan...

Such projects in upper reaches of Arunachal rivers may hit areas downstream in Assam The Assam Assembly's House Committee, which studied the impact of the construction of big hydro-electric dams in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh on the areas downstream in Assam, has recommended that no dam be allowed in that State without a proper comprehensive and scientific assessment. In its final report tabled on the floor of...

The United Nations has launched a worldwide campaign to enhance the safety of 1 million schools and hospitals, where poor construction, an absence of safety drills and lack of emergency equipment can lead to the highest death tolls during Earthquakes and other disasters. “Making sure that schools, hospitals and other key public infrastructure meet certain safety standards are key steps to ensure that natural hazards do not turn into disasters,” Secretary-General...

Earthquakes were the deadliest natural disasters in the past decade, accounting for 60 per cent of deaths caused by such hazards, a senior United Nations official said today, stressing the importance of investing in disaster risk reduction. UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström stated that Earthquakes remain a serious threat for millions of people worldwide as eight of the most populous cities in the world are built on...