MoD: Air, water around Nimitz will be monitored

Dismissing claims that the USS Nimitz Chennai visit could cause environmental hazards, the Defence Ministry today said that 10 nuclear-powered ships had visited various ports in the country in the past six years without facing any protest.

An Environmental Safety Committee ESC, which had carried out a detailed survey at Chennai, cleared the Nimitz8217;s visit, stating there was no 8220;radiation hazard8221;. A spokesperson from the ministry also said that a radiation safety contingency plan under the crisis management group8212;comprising scientists from DRDO, BARC, Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur and representatives of the Chennai Port Trust and the Indian Navy8212;had been put into place.

8220;A stringent radiation monitoring protocol will, at periodic intervals, monitor and analyse air and water samples,8221; the spokesperson said.

Nuclear-powered ships and submarines from France, the United Kingdom and the United States, including French Aircraft Carrier Charles De Gaulle, which had stopped at Goa in April 2004 and again in April 2006, are frequent visitors to Indian ports.

8220;This is not the first visit by a nuclear-powered ship to an Indian port. In fact, the Indian Navy has operated INS Chakra, a nuclear-powered submarine, from 1988 to 1991,8221; ministry officials said.