Mankind may make tall claims of scientific and materialistic progress, but if providence gets annoyed and gives mankind even a slightest jolt, all claims of progress and development come crumbling down like a house of cards. Man's tall claims appear hollow and baseless. Facing the wrath of the Almighty, man realizes that all his hard toil to protect himself from an emergency situation is of no use. Luxuries of life, scientific inventions, all are fragile and incompetent to ward off destruction. He is forced to ponder how helpless mankind is in the face of the nature's fury.
Man usually forgets it while competing in the race of scientific and materialistic progress that in the system of the universe, as designed by nature, he is nothing more than a grain of sand and dust. If man attempts to tinker with rules of nature and strives to cause damage to it, he would have to bear the consequences in the form of huge devastation and destruction.
Motivating Factor
Although earthquakes, typhoons floods, tsunami, cloudburst, draught, famine endemic and epidemic diseases, and other natural disasters usually motivate us to turn to Almighty God, the creator of the universe, they also make man realize that these are admonishment from the Almighty to mend our ways. The gigantic tsunami rising to the skies, blasts and fire in nuclear reactors, and leakage of nuclear radiation in Japan have caused heavy damage. At the same time, it teaches a lesson those in love with nuclear energy and scientific and materialistic progress.
It is indeed a time to ponder seriously whether they should continue to depend on nuclear energy, or should give it up. Reportedly, some developed nations have, in view of the devastation in Japan, decided to give up their plans and designs for nuclear energy, or have decided to close down present nuclear plants.
Current Situation
The current situation is that Japan not only continues to jolt under earthquakes, the number of those killed in the quake or tsunami is on the rise. Leakage of nuclear radiation continues unabated there. Since 11 March, more than 200 jolts of the magnitude of 5 or less on the Richter scale have been recorded in north and central Japan.
The people living in the capital Tokyo have had to face several aftershocks of the magnitude of 6 or more. Meanwhile, snowfall since 15 March in the quake and tsunami-affected areas has made life difficult for people. It has further escalated the threat of spread of nuclear radiation. Nuclear experts maintain that last efforts are on in the nuclear complex to avert the worst ever-industrial calamity.
The French Nuclear Safety Authority has warned that the next 48 hours would be decisive, as all attempts to address the problem have proved futile so far. According to a British newspaper, The Mail, France has even claimed that the Japan's Government has lost control of administration, and Japan is striving to hide the seriousness of the situation from the world. Latest details reveal that nuclear leakage from the Fukushima nuclear plant has reached even the Russian city of Vladivostok.
Apprehension in India
Senior environmentalists and scientists in India have assured people that the country faces no threat from nuclear radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant. They have added that there is no apprehension either that radiation may reach India through rain or air. Minister for Science and Technology Ashwini Kumar has also reiterated that India faces no threat from the leakage of nuclear radiation from Japan, as radiation is heading toward the eastern region and that there is a huge distance between India and Japan's ill-fated nuclear plant.
Meanwhile, people of Jaitapur in Maharashtra, where a nuclear energy plant of 9,900 MW capacity is to be set up, have intensified their protest against it. It may be recalled that the Jaitapur area falls under the third category seismic zone.
Measures To Be Adopted
According to statistics of the Geological Survey of India, between 1985 and 2005, there have been 92 earthquakes there. The quake that jolted Jaitapur in 1993 was of 6.2 intensity. Geologists and social workers believe that land in Jaitapur is not stable and should an earthquake occur, it cannot be guaranteed that measures to be adopted by the government for safety of the proposed plant and people there would be able to protect them, and the sensitive Konkani coastal area from a possible nuclear disaster. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said the government was seriously considering to initiate some more environmental and protective measures for the proposed nuclear plant at Jaitapur, as well as nuclear plants in other parts of the country.
It must be borne in mind that 40 percent of the world's population lives within a radius of 100-km from the coast, and the population there continues to rise. In India also, 23 percent of our population resides within a 100-km radius of seacoast, while 35 percent of Indian population resides and lives within a radius of 200-km from seacoast.
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