nuclear-news

Tense situtaion in Kudankulam, as 3,000 protest fuel loading at nuclear reactor

Tension mounts as protesters stay put near Kudankulam plant THE HINDU, P. SUDHAKAR , 9 sept 12, Tension prevailed here for about five hours on Sunday as the police thwarted a bid by about 3,000 agitators to lay siege to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) site to protest fuel-loading in the reactor.

Earlier in the day, the protesters, led by the People’s Movement
Against Nuclear Energy convener, S.P. Udayakumar, surprised the
police, who deployed about 4,000 personnel, marched towards the site
through the shore around noon.

No personnel were deployed on the route as the police had expected
them to go by Thomas Mandapam or Vairaavikinaru to reach the site.

When the protesters, some of them holding white flags, reached
Sengalani Odai, 1.5 km from the reactor site, the personnel, present
about 2 km away, rushed to the spot.

Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police Vijayendra Bidari, who reached
there in 15 minutes, held talks with the agitators at Periyamulli on
the beach.

He told them that they had no right to organise illegal demonstrations
while they were free to challenge the Madras High Court’s order on
fuel-loading. “You can’t just breach the prohibitory orders
promulgated here,” he told them.

Subsequently, attempts by Collector R. Selvaraj and Inspector-General
of Police (South Zone) Rajesh Das to pacify the protesters went in
vain.

While the protesters squatted on the beach and continued their
agitation, police stayed put there to stall their advancing further.
Even a fleet of government buses stationed off the beach for
transporting the protesters in case of their arrest was withdrawn by
the evening….. Dr. Udayakumar told reporters that the activists
would withdraw the agitation provided Chief Minister Jayalalithaa gave
them an assurance that fuel-loading would be suspended.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3877598.ece

September 10, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, opposition to nuclear