Protesters opposing the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) on Monday demanded that the Union government organise a nationwide debate on the country’s energy policy, particularly on the ongoing as well as proposed nuclear power programmes.
Convener of the Anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Struggle Committee, S.P. Udayakumar, said the current agitation against the KKNPP would be suspended if voters chose to support the Congress overwhelmingly in the next Lok Sabha polls even after a transparent nationwide debate.
If the proposal gets the nod it would be the first in the country
If the innovative proposal of constructing a wildlife overpass, that has been forwarded to the State Government by the Department of Forest here, gets the official nod, it will permanently end incidents of deer getting crushed under wheels of zooming vehicles on the national highway even as the herbivores move out of their habitat at Gangaikondan in search of food and water.
A sea-based agitation against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project passed off peacefully on Monday, with around 700 boats, including 150 mechanised vessels, carrying more than 3,000 fishermen participating in the protest.
With black flags fluttering on their boats, protesters raised slogans against the ready-to-be-commissioned nuclear complex and the Central and State governments.
Land near slaughter house used as unauthorised dumping yard
Residential areas south of Government Engineering College here has become uninhabitable in the recent past as the rubbish, particularly the plastic waste, being burnt in the unofficial garbage dumping yard of the Corporation near Melapalayam modern slaughter house generates huge volume of smoke and gases almost round-the-clock.
Tension prevailed here for about five hours on Sunday as the police thwarted a bid by about 3,000 agitators to lay siege to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) site to protest fuel-loading in the reactor.
Earlier in the day, the protesters, led by the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy convener, S.P. Udayakumar, surprised the police, who deployed about 4,000 personnel, marched towards the site through the shore around noon.
Owing to mixing up of animal, human and industrial waste
Even as the first phase of encroachment eviction drive on the banks of the Tamirabharani has been completed and cleaning of the thorny bushes on the sloping land besides the water body has been going on for the past few Saturdays, a lot of things needs to be done to really save the river, as the pathological quality of this river has reached an alarming status.
Thanks to forest personnel who have successfully checked poaching
Here is really a heartening news for nature lovers as the Indian gaur population at Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) has increased significantly during the past few years as the forest personnel have successfully checked poaching by hunters from Kerala through continuous vigil from their permanent camps in the highly inaccessible evergreen forests.
Fresh water for ensuring unhindered operation of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) will not be drawn from the Pechipaarai dam or the Tamirabharani, the outgoing Site Director, M. Kasinath Balaji, has said.
“Since we've installed two desalination plants to meet the drinking water requirements of Anu Vijay township (where KKNPP personnel reside) and also the KKNPP site, we will never draw water from the Pechipaarai dam in Kanyakumari district or the Tamirabharani, lifeline of southern districts, at any point of time in future.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress in preparing the first reactor of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project for commissioning, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jain has said the KKNPP was waiting for the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board's clearance for the opening of the reactor pressure vessel for inspecting the internal components' performance and subsequent loading of enriched uranium fuel rods.
950 staff, including Russian technocrats, return to work
For the first time after nearly five-and-a-half months, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) received its optimum strength of around 950 technical and non-technical personnel and 100 Russian technocrats on Tuesday morning when operations were revived following the State Cabinet resolution on early commissioning of the plant on Monday.
