A team of experts from Atomstroyexports, the Russian firm that supplies technology and the equipment for the 2 X 1,000 MWe nuclear reactors of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, who had camped at Kudankulam to inspect the quality of the work completed so far and witness the functioning of the equipment installed, have left the site. The Russians took this decision as they could not get permission to go to the KKNPP site from Anu Vijay Township, where they were staying in the wake of the ongoing protest against the nuclear power project.
Though the protestors, who blocked all connecting roads leading to the KKNPP project site as part of their protest, have moved back to Idinthakarai to continue the relay fast, the KKNPP officials cannot get nod from the police and district administration, which fear surprise attacks could be orchestrated on the KKNPP engineers by the protestors.
The Russian experts, who were staying at the KKNPP's Sagar Milan guest house on the Anu Vijay Township premises at Chettikulam, had to remain there indefinitely as they were denied permission to go to the site.
Since they were forced to stay in the guest house indefinitely like the KKNPP personnel, they left the guest house. “This is totally unwarranted… We, government employees, are being prevented by a group of protestors from discharging our official duty, which itself is a crime.
However, the police were a mute spectator to all these unlawful activities. When we went to the project site after eleven days with the Central Industrial Security Force personnel providing security cover, we were warned by the local police against going again. It's quite strange as the official machinery is supporting the people who are agitating without permission against an ambitious project of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. Now, the Russian experts, who were forced to wait indefinitely, have also left,” said a senior KKNPP official.
However, the Russian engineers working at KKNPP site have preferred to adopt ‘wait and watch' approach as they are still staying in their houses on the Anu Vijay Township premises.
The KKNPP personnel have planned to convene a meeting shortly to take a final decision in the wake of their being prevented from going for work.
“Since we are being denied permission to go to our workplace, we cannot prepare the documents to be submitted to the Central experts' committee, which is expected to visit the plant shortly. If this situation continues, we will forward a memorandum to the Centre explaining the situation prevailing here and seek Central government's immediate intervention to sort out the problems,” said a senior NPCIL official here.
