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• After being stopped from talking about 'Jaitapur power project' at a lecture in the city a day before, nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar said on Tuesday that use of nuclear energy is inevitable. He said that it remains the safest option among all major energy forms in commercial use despite incidents at Fukushima (Japan) and Chernobyl ( Russia).The former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day conference on 'Energy and sustainable development', at the College of Engineering Pune (CoEP), on Tuesday."India needs to create a larger capacity for the use of all forms of energy resources, including nuclear source. The country must focus on development of technologies for thorium and solar energy," he said.

• The event was held amid heavy police bandobust following apprehensions that the Shiv Sena, which is opposed to the proposed 9,900 MW Jaitapur nuclear power project in Ratnagiri district, may cause trouble.In fact, the organisers were forced to shift the conference venue from the Abasaheb Marathe Arts and New Commerce Science College at Hativale in Ratnagiri to the CoEP, following threats from the Sena.On Monday, Shiv Sena activists had gathered at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) to demand cancellation of Kakodkar's lecture. The Senamen backed out only after the ARI top officials assured them that Kakodkar won't mention Jaitapur in his address.

• On Tuesday, Kakodkar avoided mentioning the Jaitapur project, but made out a strong case for nuclear energy. "People may have legitimate doubts and apprehensions about nuclear power projects. It is essential to clarify the same. I have made an attempt to do so in some way and things can also be sorted out with one-on-one discussion with those opposed to the projects.""Nuclear energy already accounts for 16% of world electricity and it is growing even post-Fukushima. The real risks of nuclear energy are the lowest among all major energy forms. Besides, the advantage in terms of minimal effect on climate change also needs to be taken into account."

• Kakodkar said, "Much of the apprehensions about nuclear power are the result of public trauma generated by catastrophe syndrome and misinformation relating to fatalities, radiation and waste management."He said that several countries are, in fact, opting for nuclear power plants. "The US approved two nuclear power plants in Georgia recently, the UK and Finland are going the same way, China is constructing three such plants while South Korea commissioned another one. The nuclear programme is credible and good all over the world."Kakodkar said, "Even Germany, which has decided to phase out its nuclear power plants, imports a lot of energy from France, which produces nuclear power on a large scale."

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