Thaindian News

Chennai, Oct 20 (IANS) The ongoing agitation against the Rs.13,000 crore 2,000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) has set the project clock back by at least six months, say officials of the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd. (NPCIL).

India’s nuclear power plant operator NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors with Russian technology and equipment in Kudankulam, around 650 km from here.

“The agitation is definitely a big setback for the project and has set the clock back at least by six months. While many of the outstation workers have left Kudankulam even big contractors are giving us notice about withdrawing their manpower as the working conditions are not conducive,” an NPCIL official told IANS, preferring anonymity.

The first unit is expected to go on stream in December. The whole project cost is estimated around Rs.13,000 crore.

The official said it will take time for the expert committee set up by the government to have a dialogue with the agitating people.

Several activities have to precede before loading the real fuel as the reactor was tested with dummy fuel.

“Even in normal days, the nuclear power regulator would take time to give the clearances. With the conditions like this the regulator will be doubly sure about the reactor safety before giving the green signal to commission the reactor,” he said.

He said only skeletal staff was inside the plant complex to carry out the essential maintenance work.

According to NPCIL officials, the district administration had not given clearance for all the employees to go to work at the project site.

“We don’t want to risk a flare up by taking out employees in our buses to the plant. We would want the district administration to give the clearance and provide safe passage to the work place,” an official said.

The relay fast protest against the nuclear power project entered its third day at Idinthakarai near Kudankulam.

“Today people from Perumal village are on fast. Expressing solidarity with them, members of Tiruppur People’s Forum, a group of lawyers from Tirunelvelli and several anti-nuclear groups from Kerala have come to Idinthakarai,” M. Pushparayan, convenor of Coastal People’s Federation, told IANS.

Reacting to the setting up of an expert committee by the central government to convince the people about the safety aspects of the Russian reactors, Pushparayan said: “The central government has gone back on its assurance. We were told that the committee would comprise of members nominated by the central and state governments and also from our side. The committee does not have members nominated by the Tamil Nadu government and us.”

He said the work at the plant had to stop before they could start having a dialogue with the expert committee.