Fifty years ago | No threat from nuclear power stations
In a 1974 report, Indian scientist Dr. Raja Ramanna argued that nuclear power plants are safe and fundamentally different from nuclear bombs. He emphasized that even in a worst-case meltdown scenario, fatalities would be low compared to other industrial hazards.
Why it matters
This historical perspective provides context on the long-standing public debate regarding nuclear energy safety and waste management.
Manila, September 8: A nuclear power plant cannot blow up like a nuclear bomb, a senior Indian scientist said yesterday in defence of such installations to replace coal and oil.
Dr. Raja Ramanna, Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said in a paper presented to the Philippine Government-sponsored conference on the Survival of Humankind, “there is some tendency among the public to equate a nuclear power station under accident conditions with a nuclear bomb.”
Nuclear power design is “entirely different,” he said.
“Melting of the nuclear fuel is perhaps the worst possible situation. Even if the reactor core melts down, the chances of any fatalities are very low,” he said.
“If other industries develop as high a safety consciousness as the nuclear industry, the fatalities due to accidents could be significantly reduced,” Dr. Ramanna said.
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