N-plants face LeT threat: Narayanan

New Delhi: National Security Advisor M K Narayanan told CNN-IBN that Indian nuclear installations are on the Lashkar-e-Toiba's (LeT) hit list.

“There is information that may be one of our atomic energy installations could be the target. It’s an LeT operations that we know, says Narayanan.

It's this revelation by the national security advisor that's put the security of our nuclear installations under renewed scrutiny. India operates fourteen nuclear power units at six locations and is implementing construction of eight ongoing nuclear power projects.

The existing operating nuclear power stations are Tarapur Atomic Power Station, Rawatbata Atomic Power Station, Madras Atomic Power Station, Narora Atomic Power Station, Kakrapar Atomic Station, and Kaiga Atomic Power station.

Apart from these the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai and the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad are high on the terror list.

The physical security of all nuclear installations in India is managed by the Central Industrial Security Force or the CISF.

Former DG, BSF Prakash Singh says, “We also ensure at the same time that they are protected against any surprise aerial crash. Because we have fidayeens infiltrating in the country and if the fidayeens decide that they will take a small flying club plane and crash it against the dome of the nuclear reactor that could have very serious implications.”

Access Control

It’s quite difficult to get through bollards and tier cutters at the entry gate.

A biometric access system that scans and matches the retina, face and palms of all employees.

Parameter Security

Armed CISF personnel man watchtowers around nuclear installations 24/7.

Every inch of nuclear installations is covered by close circuit television cameras to detect intrusion.

A CISF quick reaction team at every nuclear installation is geared to respond in 30 seconds to any security breach.

Inspite, of CISF's confidence fact remains that a target analysis done by atomic agencies has indicated that our nuclear installations are venerable though experts say that the most a terrorist can do to a nuclear installation is create panic and backlash.