Kudankulam relay fast enters second day
October 19th, 2011 - 2:09 pm ICT by IANSChennai, Oct 19 (IANS) The relay fast protest against the 2,000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) Wednesday entered its second day at Idinthakarai in Tirunelveli district while skeletal staff were carrying out basic maintenance at the plant.
“More than 1,000 people are on this relay hunger strike at Idinthakarai village near Kudankulam. Today (Wednesday) villagers from neighbouring Thommaiyapuram village are on protest fast,” M. Pushparayan, convenor of Coastal People’s Federation, told IANS.
He said Tuticorin-based country boat fishermen will be reaching Idinthakari in around 40 vans to participate in the protest.
“Students of the criminology department in University of Madras have confirmed their participation in the protest,” Pushparayan added.
According to him, buses are not plying in the villages.
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 whole project cost is estimated around Rs.13,000 crore.
Refuting the agitator’s charge that NPCIL is working on loading the fuel, an NPCIL official told IANS: “Several activities have to be performed before loading the real fuel. Further, we have to get the regulator’s clearance for fuel loading. We have to open the reactor vessel, remove the dummy fuel and load the real one.”
He said, after loading the fuel, another clearance from the regulator has to be secured to start the plant to generate power.
According to NPCIL officials, the district administration has not given clearance for all the employees to go to work at the project site.
“There are only 100 employees — core officials and supporting staff — inside the plant,” he added.
He said it is going to be difficult for the contractors to mobilise the workforce again as thousands of labourers from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have vacated Kudankulam and neighbouring areas.
- Kudankulam agitation has put the project clock back by six months - Oct 20, 2011
- Kudankulam staff once again under 'house arrest' - Oct 25, 2011
- Infants to fast against Kudankulam n-plant - Nov 01, 2011
- Now, a pro-Kundankulam rally - Nov 11, 2011
- Kudankulam's first unit to be ready for fuel loading soon: NPCIL - Mar 19, 2012
- Kudankulam protesters to resume struggle Tuesday - Oct 17, 2011
- Kudankulam relay fast continues - Oct 26, 2011
- Dusting, housekeeping major initial job at Kundankulam - Mar 21, 2012
- Anti-Kudankulam struggle to enter 100th day Thursday - Nov 23, 2011
- Kudankulam protests continue, entry points to plant blocked - Oct 14, 2011
- Top nuclear officials meet Kudankulam expert panel, protests on - Oct 29, 2011
- Kudankulam protest fast enters sixth day - Oct 23, 2011
- Kudankulam protesters demand white paper - Nov 12, 2011
- Green signal for Kudankulam, Rs.500 crore for region (Lead) - Mar 19, 2012
- Kudankulam: First reactor might miss March deadline - Nov 17, 2011
Tags: agitator, boat fishermen, convenor, criminology department, crore, district administration, fuel loading, hunger strike, india ltd, labourers, npcil, nuclear power corporation, nuclear power plant, nuclear power project, nuclear power reactors, power plant operator, reactor vessel, russian technology, skeletal staff, university of madras