The editorial “Fission, not fusion” (March 22) has a case for independence of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). Assurances from India’s atomic energy authorities about the safety of the country’s nuclear power plants cannot be taken at face value. There is no way to verify whether our nuclear power plants can withstand earthquake and tsunami of the magnitude that hit the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Also, the intensity and dimensions of nature’s fury are unpredictable and there is no surety that what struck Fukushima was the limit. The planner, the installer, the generator and the regulator of atomic energy in India are all under government control and disaster-managing capability assessments are likely to be biased and overrated. So the regulator should be independent of government control.
M C Joshi, Lucknow
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