With the Idinthakarai-based anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) protestors gearing-up for their ultimate agitation to ensure the permanent closure of the ready-to-be-commissioned nuclear power programme within a next few days, Collector R. Selvaraj has extended the prohibitory orders promulgated under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to seven km from the KKNPP site.
The announcement was made last night shortly after 10 p.m. that enabled the officials to implement the orders from the existing 2-km radius from KKNPP site to 7 km. It will be in force till 6 p.m. June 7. After the district administration received intelligence reports that a few thousands of protestors, mostly from coastal hamlets, might block the roads leading to the KKNPP site and lay siege to the nuclear power project site, the existing prohibitory orders was extended up to 7 km under which Idinthakarai, the protest hub, also falls.
Additional reinforcements are being rushed to Kudankulam and its surroundings. Armed Reserve Police, 100 personnel from Tamil Nadu Commando Force and 100 personnel from Tamil Nadu Special Task Force had been deployed till Wednesday evening.
TamilNadu and central government should come forward to allay the fears of protestors and be more transparent with saftety measures and other safegurads around the nuclear plant. What is the point in suppresing the paeceful protestors and treat them as anti nationals for raising genunie questsions. Nuclear enery on a tsuanami inudated, earth quake prone costal zone is very resiky for the entire sub continet. While there are many ways to generate the same power by tapping wind to Hydro power t is too late to shut down the plant. The only reasonable way to make use KNP is to mitigate the risk factors by safeguarding the plant, implemant more saftey measures, train the people, build health facilities and infrastructre around the plant and plan evaucuation processes. India and TN govt cannot be lethargic and complacent in their efforts ireepective of people are protesting or not.
What a mess ! Information is the key here. People and the government think about
nuclear plants differently. Of course, nuclear power is good with the proper
safeguards. Of course, the people are within their rights to protest it's set-up.
After listening to people's concerns, The government should have started a
massive information campaign which informs people how their region is going to
benefit exactly in terms of jobs, business etc. Then a vote should be conducted to
see whether people are for it or against it. This process should be repeated again.
This is a slow process, but that's how democracy should work. Unfortunately, the
government powers through and creates a mess and that's a big mistake. If people
vandalize the plant without realizing the effects of their actions, it can lead to
catastrophic damages.
The government must act swiftly against these anti development forces. It should arrest the ring leaders of PMANE and charge them under sedition act. That will settle things.
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