TN: Relay fast at Kudankulam N-plant continues

Chennai, Oct 27: The stir against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) is showing no signs of dying down with the relay fast continuing for the ninth consecutive day on Wednesday in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

M. Pushparayan, convener of Coastal People's Federation commented, "Today, people from Voovery village participated in the relay fast. There were around 700 people at the protest venue."

In spite of repeated assurances on the safety of the nuclear plant, the villagers are continuing with their agitation. The state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) was going full steam ahead in building two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors with Russian technology and equipment in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.

The project costing Rs.13,000 crore has attracted a lot of attention since the agitation started on Oct 13. The first unit was set to be operational in Dec this year. The villagers were apprehensive of the safety of the plant and laid siege on it. The administration has however asked the NPCIL officials to not enter the plant till the protest subsides.

A senior NPCIL employee from Kudankulam commented, "Today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) are Diwali holidays for us and we are at home celebrating the festival. However, we have not heard anything from the district administration on the prospects of us going to office Friday."

OneIndia News