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Strong local opposition to India’s planned Jaitapur nuclear plant

Chavan was greeted by slogan-shouting women from Sakhrinate village during his interaction with people. The local outfits like Janhit Seva Samitee from Madban village and the fishermen from Sakrinate village asked the chief minister to scrap the project.

Scrap Jaitapur nuclear power project, locals tell Prithviraj Chavan, – Mumbai – DNA Feb 26, 2011, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who visited the proposed Jaitapur nuclear project site here, today witnessed stiff resistance from the local people who are opposing the 9,900mw power plant.

Chavan was greeted by slogan-shouting women from Sakhrinate village during his interaction with people. The local outfits like Janhit Seva Samitee from Madban village and the fishermen from Sakrinate village asked the chief minister to scrap the project.

Praveen Gawankar of Janhit Seva Samitee said, “936 hectares of land has been acquired through undemocratic means and through police atrocities. The chief minister should re-examine how the land acquisition process was conducted.”

He also said that Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) was not stating the truth by saying that even pregnant women can work at the plant, because at Tarapur, where the first nuclear project came up in 1960, there was a board barring pregnant women from entering. There was also risk of contracting cancer, he added.

“The locals are not opposing the project for more compensation… let us live in peace and scrap the project. Also return our lands,” he said.

Another villager, Amjad Borkar from Sakrinate, said marine life would be endangered and livelihood of fishermen community here would be destroyed due to the project.

“Maharashtra has a poor record on rehabilitation and the government has not addressed concerns of farmers as to whether the project would harm crops of cashew, Alphonso mango; and fishing,” Borkar said.

Shiv Sena MLA from nearby Rajapur, Rajan Salvi, also criticised the government during the meeting, for going ahead with the project despite opposition of local people. He submitted a letter to Chavan on this issue…..

Scrap Jaitapur nuclear power project, locals tell Prithviraj Chavan – Mumbai – DNA

March 1, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, opposition to nuclear