STAFF REPORT KHI: Many Americans die choking on meat but that doesnt mean they stop eating steaks, said the former chairperson of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and adviser to the National Command Authority, Dr. Ansar Parvez, while downplaying the risks of nuclear power plants.


Speaking at a seminar, titled Environmental Fallout: Nuclear Power Plants in Pakistan at Habib University, Dr. Parvez said that one has to consider all available options to produce energy. It is important to understand that the other means of energy production have more adverse environmental affects, he added.


According to him, energy requirement in Pakistan will be of 70,000 MW by 2030, out of which nuclear plants will provide only 8,000 MW. “The remaining 62,000 MW can be produced by other means,” he explained.


IBA Urban Studies Assistant Prof. Dr. Nausheen Anwar said that once the nuclear plants have been built, they cannot be changed. However, she said that the infrastructure of such plants is fragile.


Referring to Japans Fukushima disaster, former LUMS physics professor and anti-nuclear campaigner Dr Abdul Hameed Nayyar said that after the incident took place, the Japanese government spent billions of dollars for mitigation.


According to him, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), submitted by the PAEC, says that in case of an accident, the radiations could never breach the walls of the plant.


“You have to consider the impact of release of radiation on the population and have a plan ready for evacuation,” he said.

By Web Team

Technology Times Web team handles all matters relevant to website posting and management.