The Supreme Court today said that the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant will not be allowed to start functioning if it fails to meet the safety standards. The Apex court said this while responding to a petition moved by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL). In its affidavit the NPCIL had maintained that in the event of a Fukushima-like disaster, the Kudankulam plant is fully equipped to deal with the situation. The Supreme Court also issued notice to Tamil Nadu Enviroment and Forest Ministry and Pollution Control Board in response to the NPCIL petition challenging environmental clearance to the project. There has been a bitter row over the 2,000 MW nuclear power project with anti-nuke activists and Kudankulam villagers staging demonstrations against the operationalisation of the plant fearing possible nuclear radiation leak once it begins production. However, the government at the Centre has claimed that the Kudankulam plant will help solve energy crisis and it meets all necessary safety standards.

Expert panels constituted by the state and central government have also declared the plant safe.