USS Nimitz docks off Chennai coast

Chennai, July 2: Amid Opposition by political parties over radiation hazards, nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier ''USS Nimitz'' docked about two to three nautical miles off the Chennai Port this morning.
Officials in the US Consulate here told sources that the ship was anchored about two to three nautical miles from the port and the crew members had already proceeded to Madras-I-Azam Home for poor Muslim children to play basket ball, clean and paint class rooms and refurbish the hockey field.

During their four-day stay here the crew members of the US Navy ship would participate in community works and visit the cultural and heritage sites in and around the city.

The Chennai Port Trust had facilitated the arrival of the ship crew in the city.

Meanwhile, the Left parties, opposing the permission granted by the Centre to dock the ship in Chennai, would hold a joint demonstration in front of the Port this evening.

Various political parties, including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's AIADMK and her poll ally MDMK, have opposed the visit of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier following fears of nuclear radiation.

However, the United States has been repeatedly allaying the fears saying the safety record of the ship had been 'outstanding'.

The US has said that the first ever port call in India by a US based aircraft carrier was a landmark event in the bilateral relations of both the countries. ''The US and Indian navies have conducted increasingly elaborate joint exercises on the high seas over the past several years, regularly cooperating in a bilateral and multilateral framework known as the Malabar series of joint Indo-US exercises,'' it added.

The nuclear safety record of US nuclear-powered warships was outstanding. There has never been a nuclear accident in the more than 56 year history of the programme.

''The US Navy nuclear-powered warships have steamed more than 135 million miles and amassed more than 5,700 reactor-years of safe operating experience'', the US reiterated and added that while being docked in Chennai, sailors from USS Nimitz would volunteer in numerous goodwill events in the local community, like cleaning local sites, refurbishing buildings and interacting with members of the community.

The crew would tomorrow visit a tsunami hit village in Reddy Kuppam, Kanathur, which was a fishing settlement on the ECR by the side of the sea and was badly affected by December 2005 Tsunami. The settlement has been adopted by the National Service Scheme volunteers from the New College, who would be working alongside the crew of the USS Nimitz.

Commisioned into the US Navy in 1975, the super carrier, which reaches more than 23 stories high from the keel to the top of the mast, could carry 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, including the F-18 ''Super Hornet''. It has a flight deck of about 4.5 acres and accommodate more than 5000 crew members on board. The Left parties, which had announced a joint stir today, accused the Manmohan Singh government of following the ''pro-US foreign policy'' adopted by the previous BJP led NDA government at the Centre, which they alled clearly went against the interests of the country.

The docking of the warship with nuclear weapons and war aircraft also posed serious security threat to the country, the Left party leaders said and demanded the Centre immediately withdraw the permission.

AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa had also opposed to the docking of the ship and had demanded that the Centre give up its plans to dock 'USS Nimitz' in India's territorial waters forthwith as it would be hazardous to the people of proximate cities.

MDMK leader Vaiko said it was ridiculous to allow the ship, which was responsible for the killing of several innocent people in Iraq, to dock near Chennai port.

India's economy had already taken a beating because of the arrival of multinationals and the docking of Nimitz would pose a grave threat, not only to India's security, but also to its sovereignty, he warned.

Meanwhile, an Indian Navy ship, with scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on board, was anchored one mile from the USS Nimitz. The Indian Navy ship, equipped with a radiation monitoring laboratory, was stationed to keep a watch on the USS Nimitz. The scientists would periodically take water and air samples and the Indian and US naval personnel would guard the warship round-the-clock.

It was anchored aboutone mile from the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the scientists would periodically take water and air samples from the region while the Indian and US naval pershonnel would guard the warship round-the-clock.

The naval officer in charge of Tamil Nadu, Commodore P E Vanhalteren had said that the USS Nimitz was not the first nuclear-powered warship to visit India. A standard operating procedure had been in place to clear a port for the berthing of nuclear vessels since the induction of INS Chakra into the navy in 1988.

Since then, ten foreign nuclear warships had berthed at Indian ports, he added.

Not attaching too much importance to India conducting radiation surverys by anchoring a ship near USS Nimitz, Rear Admiral John Terrance Blake, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 11, said India was free to conduct radiation survey in Indian waters.

''We will maintain a perimeter around the ship. We will make sure that there is threat. Anyone closing in on USS Nimitz will have to look from a force protection perspective. Outside of that perimeter, it is international waters,'' he added.

UNI