Will Fukushima become another Hiroshima

for Japan?

The World witnessed the worst holocaust for the first time in Japan during the second World War (1939-1945) when the United States of America decided to drop its first atom bomb “Little Boy” on the town of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and again another atom bomb “Fat Man” on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 which resulted in the death of nearly 1,66,000 people in Hiroshima and some 80,000 people in Nagasaki.

Now nearly after 66 years, it is Japan again which is making headlines for nuke radiation which has been coming out from its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and has been causing panic around the world. It was a black Friday for the people of Japan as the nation was rocked by a powerful earthquake on its eastern coastline on March 11, around 11 a.m. The epicenter of the quake was in the Pacific region and the intensity of the quake was nearly 9 on the Richter scale. This strong quake triggered a vast Tsunami which swept the coastal towns of Sendai and Fukushima and badly damaged the nuclear facility at Fukushima besides killing over 10,000 people and several thousands others gone missing.

A large part of city area was also swept away and a large number of small vehicles (cars, vans) were also turned turtle and many big trucks were swept away in the ocean following large displacement of water by the high tidal waves that were generated by the killer Tsunami. The power supply got disrupted following the muddy water getting sneaked into the generator rooms which were choked due to mud and could not be started hence putting the nuclear plants in danger.

The worst affected was the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) nuclear plant at Fukushima. The blasts resulting due to power failure to the nuke facility have already pushed the panic button and the fear of radioactive material getting leaked in the atmosphere has already put people across the globe on their toes.

The people of Japan are facing one of the biggest threats emerging out in the shape of another nuke disaster after 1945.

Will Fukushima become another Hiroshima for Japan?

Well, the Japan army choppers are busy in dousing the flames and trying their level best to cool down the nuclear reactors by spraying the sea water from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The Japanese authorities are facing a tough time as it is race against the time in which they have to beat all odds to see the reactors did get power supply as soon as possible to prevent further leakage of radiation which has already started approaching their capital city Tokyo. Shopping malls were closed down and the life in Tokyo looked not normal despite people making calm and wearing all protective gears to safeguard themselves from the hazards of nuke radiation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) quotes Japanese officials as saying they are preparing to distribute iodine to people living near the nuclear plant to help against radioactive poisoning In a 20-km radius around the Fukushima Daiichi complex, an estimated 110,000 people have been evacuated by the authorities so far and with winds dispersing the radioactive material over the Pacific Ocean, away from Japan and other Asian countries the risk is only increasing as per the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The tragedy in Japan has also sparked off a global debate on the use of nuke energy. Back in India, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has to give a statement in the Parliament that all nuke facilities in India are safe as they are new and have been designed to meet all odds. He assured the House that nuke fallout would not affect India and that India’s nuclear programmes are safe as of now. The international community has been keeping its fingers crossed and with all eyes on Japan, we can only pray to God to save Japan and its people from any further damage in terms of life and property. For those who are suffering and alive our wishes for a speedy recovery and for the dead may their souls rest in peace.

Images (c) Gettyimages.com

18-Mar-2011

More by : Ratan Sharga

Top | Analysis

Views: 3505 Comments: 1

If the question is will fukushima be another hiroshima and nagasaki the answer is no. Japan of 1945 and 2011 is better equipped . Their prior experience in tackling such calamity will also come handy. Lets hope for the better and pray and help. thats it.

jaya sharma
20-Mar-2011 00:59 AM

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