Anti-nuclear activists protest against power plants in Tamil Nadu

More than 300 anti-nuclear activists today staged a protest in Chennai against the Kudankulam atomic power plant in Kudankulam even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told a state delegation that he would depute a panel to address the safety concerns of local population.

The protestors, under the banner of People's Coalition Against Nuclear Power Plants, also demanded that the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam near Chennai be gradually phased out.

"We want the Kudankulam project to be scrapped and the Kalpakkam plant to be gradually phased out. When the whole world is going for solar driven energy, why are we going behind nuclear which is not safe?" asked convenor of the coalition SD Rajendran, who led the protest.

He wanted the government to make public how Kalpakkam nuclear plant was handling it effluents.

"There are people including children who suffer from cancer in areas around Kalpakkam and the fish catch in the sea near the plant is dwindling," Rajendran alleged.

The protest was held on a day when a delegation of Tamil Nadu government and activists protesting against the Kudankulam plant met the prime minister in New Delhi.

Singh told the delegation that a high level panel would address the nuclear safety concerns of the locals.

The delegation, which included public representatives from Kudankulam, raised certain technical issues during the presentation on the nuclear project.

"It was agreed that since the issues raised were technical in nature and required in-depth discussion, the Central Government would constitute a small group of experts to interact with the representatives of the people of the region to satisfy all their legitimate concerns," a PMO statement said.

The delegation was told that the project was yet to be operationalised and no nuclear processes have begun, it added.

While political parties and the government wanted work on the project to stop until the safety concerns of the locals were addressed, the representatives of the protesters gave a separate petition demanding its scrapping.

After the meeting, the two sides spoke in different voices bringing their differences to the fore further. Both sides had a meeting in the morning to iron out their differences after which they proceeded to the Prime Minister's residence.

The delegation was given a presentation by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman SK Banerjee and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited CMD SK Jain on the safety measures put in place at the plant.

AIADMK MP V Maitreyan told reporters that the Prime Minister gave them a "patient hearing" and said that he can understand the concerns expressed by the locals.

SP Udayakumar, Co-ordinator of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, said they categorically told Singh that the project should be scrapped.

Udayakumar said the team was not satisfied with the explanation given by government, saying they spoke only about the Environment Assessment Report but nothing in detail about the safety aspects.

However, he described the meeting as a "second victory" as the fight was brought to New Delhi all the way from Kudankulam.

"We know there are differences between us and the Government. We are a group of activists and they are representatives of the ruling party. They have their own limitations. We came as a group and we met as a group," he said.

Udayakumar said the activists will hold a one-day token fast at Idinthakarai near Kudankulam to tell the people what transpired at their meeting with the Prime Minister.

CPI leader D Raja said the Prime Minister listed the safety measures taken by the government with regard to nuclear power plants.

While the memorandum submitted by the locals spoke about the nuclear accidents across the world and protests against atomic power in the country, the petition submitted by the Government was confined to the protests and the initiatives taken by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

"It is, therefore, requested that the Government of India may depute competent authorities to hold discussions with the representatives of the people of Kudankulam area about their fears and apprehensions and explain to the people the safety measures taken and convince the people about the safety of the plant," the memorandum by the government said.