India cannot abandon nuclear power: Ramesh

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said that though India needs to learn appropriate lessons from the crisis at Japan's nuclear plants, the country cannot give up on nuclear energy.

"What has happened in Japan is very serious. We will have to learn appropriate lessons and whatever additional safeguards, additional precautions are required we must take, but I don't believe India can abandon nuclear energy (programme)," Ramesh told mediapersons here yesterday.

As to the Jaitapur nuclear power project in coastal Maharashtra, where local opposition to the plant has intensified after the earthquake in Japan, the Minister said, "The country is divided into different levels of seismic zones. I don't know at what level the Jaitapur plant is located."

"A decision is taken based on the environmental studies that are conducted by NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute). We gave clearance based on that report in November and we imposed 35 conditions for that clearance," Ramesh said.

"As far as safety and radioactive waste management is concerned, it is the responsibility of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board," he said.