Kudankulam Atomic power project

Kudankulam Atomic Power Project is a nuclear power station under construction in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Construction has been delayed due to anti-nuclear protests by the locals and People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy. As a prelude to the commissioning of the first unit of the plant having the capacity of generating 1000 MW, Engineers started its pre-service inspection on 30 June 2012 which is likely to take 10-12 days.  Recently, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board's inspection of the reactor pressure vessel of Unit-1 was completed and no defects therein were found.

OPPOSITION

Thousands of protesters, belonging to the vicinity of the plant, have used various means to protest against the plant fearing a Fukushima like disaster.  The protesters base their objection on the "more than 1 million people live within the 30 km radius of the KKNPP which far exceeds the AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) stipulations. It is quite impossible to evacuate this many people quickly and efficiently in case of a nuclear disaster at Koodankulam", etc. There has also been rallies and protests in favour of commissioning this nuclear power plant.

Todays news about kudankulam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anti-Kudankulam nuclear plant activists will observe this year's Gandhi Jayanti as Kudankulam Day, and hold a rally at Shanghumugham and form a human chain on the beach. 

"Thousands of protestors from all walks of life are expected to join the human chain at Shanghumugham on Tuesday against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP)," said T Peter, convenor of the Kerala Solidarity Forum Against KNPP. Meera, wife of anti-Kudankulam activist S P Udayakumar will lead the rally, he said. 

The protest, he claimed, has the backing of poet Sugathakumari, writer Sara Joseph and environmentalist C R Neelakandan, besides activists K Ajitha and priests Paul Sunny and Augustin Vattoli. 

Pledging solidarity to Kudankulam residents, Kerala Solidarity Forum convenor L Subramanium said KNPP is a threat to 15 lakh people living within 30-km radius of the project. He added that a tragedy in Kudankulam will be severe than the Fukushima disaster, where people were living 240km away from the plant. 

The Tamil Nadu police had on September 18 prevented opposition leader V S Achuthanandanfrom visiting Kudankulam. Achuthanandan is unlikely to be part of the human chain on Tuesday.

Source: The Times of INDIA