Nuclear Corp now turns to catchy jingles to push Kudankalam
November 25th, 2011 - 10:53 pm ICT by IANSChennai, Nov 25 (IANS) Catchy jingles aired on two FM radio stations instead of dull and drab facts - this is the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd’s new effort to convince the locals around the Kudankalam project that the atomic power plant is not bad after all.
“In an attempt to reach out to people, we have decided to air two one minute jingles on Suryan FM and Hello FM radio stations in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts as a part of public awareness programme,” said a senior NPCIL official preferring anonymity.
The NPCIL have approved two foot tapping jingles of one minute each with messages that nuclear power is reliable as against other energy sources like thermal/wind/hydro and about the importance of atomic power for nation building.
“The idea is to catch the people’s mind space which was earlier lost to the anti-nuclear activists,” NPCIL officials said.
A new, energized print and visual media blitz is what NPCIL officials are planning to counter the anti-nuke propaganda based on “lies, untruths and unscientific claims”.
The radio jingle is a very low budget campaign, to “test the air” as it were. The campaign will be for a month, an official said.
Officials now reluctantly admit that they had perhaps committed an error by not taking the anti-Kudankalam Nuclear Power Plant propaganda seriously.
Work at the plant site came to a standstill last month after protests by villagers intensified on safety grounds. Roads have been blocked and the local administration has advised the KNPP staff to sit tight inside their homes, fearing violence.
The NPCIL by then had completed the hot run of the first reactor and was gearing up for loading the real fuel.
In nuclear power reactor parlance, hot run refers to the testing of reactor systems and pipelines using dummy fuel — which is similar to the real one but without uranium.
NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors with Russian technology and equipment in Kudankulam, around 650 km from Chennai at an outlay of around Rs.13,170 crore.
Meanwhile, officials are relieved as being able to circulate occasionally the coolant water inside the reactor and the pipelines thereby avoiding the risk of corrosion.
“There is no risk of corrosion. Everything seems fine. We are able to circulate the coolant water occasionally,” NPCIL official said.
Earlier there was some speculations if the pipes could get damaged by rust if water was not circulated.
- Plans to circulate coolant in Kudankulam reactor - Nov 19, 2011
- Kudankulam reactor faces corrosion risk - Nov 09, 2011
- Dusting, housekeeping major initial job at Kundankulam - Mar 21, 2012
- Nuclear Power Corp transfers engineers from Kudankulam - Jan 09, 2012
- Activists brief Jayalalithaa on Kudankulam hazards (Lead) - Feb 29, 2012
- Kudankulam activists brief Jayalalithaa on hazards, seek new panel (Second Lead) - Feb 29, 2012
- Kudankulam: First reactor might miss March deadline - Nov 17, 2011
- India to talk to France, US for nuclear reactors - Jan 11, 2012
- Change of guard at Kudankulam N-plant - Apr 30, 2012
- Siege of Kudankulam N-plant called off - Dec 11, 2011
- Top nuclear officials meet Kudankulam expert panel, protests on - Oct 29, 2011
- Construction of nuclear power plant begins in Gujarat - Nov 22, 2010
- Nuclear plants in India are safe, assures Nuclear Power Corporation - Mar 14, 2011
- One unit of Madras Atomic Power Station shut down - Jan 03, 2012
- Kudankulam protesters demand white paper - Nov 12, 2011
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