In March 1995. the Tarapur atomic power station in Thane, Maharashtra, hit a headlines with an incident of radioactive waste leakage into a drainage system. Reports of the leakage having played havoc with the lives of the villagers of neighbouring Ghlvll also appeared.

Ghivli's inhabitants, faced with the continuous negact of authorities as well as politicians, are a frustrated lot today. CongressO) leaders in Bombay, however, deny that they have not taken any interest in the matter. Says Murli Deora, party Up from Bombay, "We have contacted the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (#ARC) and asked for an explanation of the leak. In response, the BARC authorities have said that the amount of radioactivity leaked was small and under controllable lknft"r#4 that they had undertaken measures to' check such Incidents in future. Villagers in GhIvH are not convinced. A resident says, "The only way out is relocating our villages. in 1992, and prior to that too, there were some leakages; measures were said to have been taken each time. These leak. ages will continue.

Karnarvat, a local Congress(I) worker demonstrates best the party's apathy: "Why should we do anything. The affected people are not bothered. This is nothing unusual. There will be the usual payments and the issue will be hushed tip after some time."