A two-member team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carried out a detailed inspection at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project(KNPP) even as the anti-plant protesters announced a 72-hour fast to protest a clean chit by a state government panel.
Noting that the inspection and the accounting of nuclear materials will be detailed and meticulous, Jain said it normally takes two days to complete such an inspection.
To a query on to the choice of inspection time when KNPP is facing opposition from the villagers and protests are on, Jain said: "The IAEA has the right to inspect at any time they want."
The first unit of KNPP is under safeguards as per the agreement between Indian government and IAEA.
India's nuclear power plant operator, NPCIL, is building two 1,000 MW atomic power reactors with Russian collaboration at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli, around 650 km from Chennai.
However villagers in Kudankulam, Idinthakarai and nearby areas, fearing their safety in case of any accident, protested against the project.
Their agitation, led by the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), has put a stop to the project work, delaying the commissioning of the first unit slated last December.
The Tamil Nadu government set up a four-member expert committee to look into the project's safety aspects and the fears of the local people about the project.
The panel members certified that the KNPP is safe and has sufficient safety measures. The clean chit upset the PMANE, who announced their fast.
