Thaindian News

Chennai, Nov 15 (IANS) The second meeting of the experts committees formed by the central and the Tamil Nadu governments to allay fears about the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu is likely to be held Friday, an official said.

“We have been informed that the meeting between the state and the central committees is slated for Nov 18 (Friday). We are told that formal communication will be made soon,” M. Pushparayan, convener of the Coastal People’s Federation and member of the state committee, told IANS.

Members of the central committee held a meeting at Kanyakumari Tuesday morning and visited KNPP.

The committee members will be visiting Kudankulam Wednesday and Thursday as well, an official told IANS, preferring anonymity.

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

The first unit is expected to go on stream in December. The project is estimated to cost around Rs.13,160 crore (over $2.5 billion).

Villagers at the site fear for their lives and safety in case of any nuclear accident and the long-term impact it would have on the population.

Their agitation has put a stop to the project work, thereby delaying the commissioning of the first unit by several months.

In order to allay the fears of the public, the central and the state government have formed two separate committees.

The first meeting between the two panels happened Nov 8, when members representing the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) that is spearheading the anti-KNPP struggle had submitted a list of questions and also asked for copies of inter-governmental agreement signed between India and Russia and a white paper on the project.

Meanwhile, at Idinthakarai near Kudankulam, the relay protest fast entered its 29th day Tuesday, with around 200 people participating in the fast.