Russia keen to help India establish 16 more nuke power plants: Envoy

Russia's Ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin has said that his country is ready to help India establish 16 nuclear power generating stations.

Welcoming the Supreme Court of India's green signal to the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), Ambassador Kadakin said: "It (apex court verdict) was a good development, and also the cabinet clearance for ministry, and so forth, was also a good and welcome decision, because with India, we have a very wide ranging, very vast roadmap on co-operating in peaceful nuclear power stations. We are ready to help India to build upto 16 units in the coming years."

The Supreme Court had earlier turned down a plea seeking a stay on the commissioning of the KNPP.

A bunch of petitions was filed by anti-nuclear activists challenging the project on the ground that safety measures recommended for the plant by an expert body have not been put in place.

The Centre, the Tamil Nadu Government and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, which operates the plant, have refuted all safety and security allegations.

They told the court that the plant is completely safe and can withstand any kind of natural disaster and external terrorist attack.

The KNPP is a nuclear power station under construction in Tamil Nadu"s Tirunelveli District.

Construction has been delayed due to anti-nuclear protests by the locals and the People"s Movement Against Nuclear Energy.

Thousands of protesters living near the plant, have used various means of protest, even suggesting that they could face a Fukushima like disaster.