With the devastating earthquake in Japan sending alarm bells concerning the safety of nuclear installations worldwide, NCPIL today said Indian nuclear plants have remained "safe" during two natural calamities in the last decade but there was no room for "complacency".
"However, we can not be complacent and therefore (we are) closely observing the experiences of the rarest event that is taking place in Japan where nuclear plants in northeast part are affected following severe and devastating earthquake and tsunami," Nuclear Power Corporation of India said.
Despite the major earthquake in Bhuj on January 26, 2001, the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station near Surat in Gujarat continued to operate "safely".
"Similarly, during the Tsunami in Tamil Nadu in December 2004, Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) was safely shut down without any radiological consequences. The plant was restarted in a matter of days after regulatory review," NPCIL said in a statement here.
The KKNPP (Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant) in Tamil Nadu, where two new reactors of 1000 Mw capacity each are under construction, also remained unaffected by the Tsunami because of the higher than sea-level site of the plant.
Authorities said all the 20 operating plants of NPCIL undergo periodical safety review and upgradation of required safety features with clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
NPCIL currently operates 20 reactors with installed capacity of 4780 Mw. Of these, two are Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) of 160 Mw each (units 1 and 2), while others are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).