Refuses to direct authorities to probe crime in the guise of allowing PIL plea

While refusing to direct the authorities to investigate a crime in the guise of entertaining a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, the Madras High Court on Wednesday said investigation of cases against protesters of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) should be completed expeditiously in a manner known to law.

The Rs. 14,000-crore nuclear power project at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is likely to be commissioned on August 25 if the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) gives its nod for a trial-run by this month-end.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy told The Hindu on Tuesday August 25 was fixed tentatively for commissioning the 1,000-MW first unit, as the AERB’s clearance for a trial-run was in the final stages.

2,407 out of 2,449 tanks are completely dry and wells have very little water

With the dry spell continuing in the district and the storage level in the major reservoirs going down alarmingly due to poor precipitation in the catchment areas, farmers have appealed to the State Government to declare Tirunelveli as ‘drought-hit district’ and provide adequate relief to save the agriculturists. Making this appeal in the monthly farmers’ grievance day meeting held at the Collectorate on Friday, R. Kasamuthu, secretary, Tirunelveli District Farmers’ Association, said 2,407 of the 2,449 irrigation tanks in the district were bone-dry while the wells had water sufficient for only 15 to 20 minutes pumping.

Adequate technology and experience are available with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for transporting spent fuel from one location to another by rail and road in a safe manner without any public hazard. This was stated in a note when a batch of petitions relating to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) came up before a Division Bench of Justices P. Jyothimani and M. Duraisamy for further hearing on Thursday.

The note, filed through NPCIL counsel Krishna Srinivasan, stated that at Kudankulam, spent fuel from the reactors would be stored in the spent fuel pool designed for the storage of spent fuel assembly.

Condemning the Centr’s decision to go ahead with the proposal to construct third and fourth nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) site with Russian assistance, the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) has urged Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take immediate steps to stop the expansion proposal.

A statement from the PMANE said that anti-KKNPP activists, during their meeting with Ms. Jayalalithaa in September, had urged her to take all-out efforts to stop the upcoming nuclear power project as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did in the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited’s Haripur Nuclear Power Project

With the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project likely to be commissioned in August, Russia has agreed to extend a $3.4-billion credit for setting up two more 1,000-MW atomic power plants at the same site in Tamil Nadu.

The two nations signed a protocol on Tuesday in Moscow for financing units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam project, under which the Russian Federation will extend export credit amounting up to $3.4 billion for 85 per cent of the value of works, supplies and services provided by the Russian organisations for the two units.

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.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a report from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the Centre’s reported plans of using psychiatrists to counsel activists protesting against

A fact-finding team of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has concluded that the no offsite emergency preparedness exercise was held for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), and that the Tirunelveli district administration’s claim that such a drill was successfully done was untrue.

PUCL national secretary V. Suresh told a press conference here on Saturday that what the district authorities conducted in the name of an emergency preparedness exercise at Nakkaneri, a hamlet seven km from KKNPP on June 9, comprising three stages, was mere eyewash.

Point out volatility in power generation from windmills

With power generation from windmills remaining volatile, trade and industry bodies in the region are calling for expeditious commissioning of Rs.14,000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). The first unit of the nuclear plant will generate 1,000 MW and a second unit with the same capacity is likely to be commissioned a few months later.