A sea-based agitation against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project passed off peacefully on Monday, with around 700 boats, including 150 mechanised vessels, carrying more than 3,000 fishermen participating in the protest.
With black flags fluttering on their boats, protesters raised slogans against the ready-to-be-commissioned nuclear complex and the Central and State governments.
“We can never live in peace with this nuclear power project sitting on our doorsteps, threatening to wipe out our livelihood and waiting to pollute the entire South Tamil Nadu beyond redemption,” they shouted.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for the protest venue with his associates M. Pushparayan and Rev. Fr. M.P. Jesuraj in a boat, Anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Struggle Committee convener S.P. Udayakumar said none of the boats participating in the struggle would go near the dyke area of KKNPP as a clear demarcation for about 500 metres from the ‘prohibited zone’ of the nuclear complex had been made with buoys in the sea. “We will conduct the protest in a peaceful manner and we have even forwarded our plea to the police seeking permission for conducting today’s agitation,” Dr. Udayakumar said. All coastal hamlets in the district sent a good number of fibreglass boats to participate in the agitation.
The call for the agitation at sea evoked good response in Kanyakumari district. After assembling at Chinna Muttom Fishing Harbour near Kanyakumari, fishermen from the neighbouring district came in 150 mechanised boats and 200 fibreglass boats to the protest venue at 10.30 a.m. Protesters, including a few women, were at the wheelhouse of mechanised boats raising slogans against the KKNPP through the public address system till 4 p.m. even as security personnel were keeping a watch .
Interestingly, no mechanised boat from Tuticorin Fishing Harbour participated in the protest though fishermen had announced that they would take part. “A warning from the Department of Fisheries restrained the mechanised boat fishermen from participating in the agitation,” said a boat owner.
The State government’s Coastal Security Group was positioned in three boats near the protest venue. A number of fibreglass boats of protesters with white flags patrolled the area to prevent boats from getting into the ‘prohibited zone’. When two mechanised boats came close to crossing the buoys, protesters asked them to leave the spot.
The struggle committee will meet again on October 11 to finalise the next course of action.
Keywords: Kudankulam nuclear power project, KKNPP, serious issues, Supreme Court, anti-nuclear activists, National Disaster Management Authority
Dear Shobana,
Rains and Monsoon depends on Ocean Conveyor belts. That is movement of
currents. From hot tropical seas to colder Arctic or Antartica. Now in
the era of climate change, the Arctic ice is melting fast. That is why
we have irregular monsoon. Only if there is ice in Arctic Ocean we
will have rains and Monsoon.
If we heat up the sea even further with these Nuclear Reactors, the
conveyor belts will not work. The Kudankulam reactor will increase the
sea temperature by 7 degree. That is too much rise. This will see end
of rains in our country. what we will see is big cyclones and rains
with high intensity on one day or two. That is not enough for our
rivers. Already we are fighting for water among states due to the
shortage of water created by erratic rains this year. This reactor
will increase this since south India depends on Romantic Rhythmic
Rains for Rivers to flow fully. The rivers has to originate from
Grasslands and Sholas. Nuclear Reactor will destroy them all.
Dear Ullash,
just curious, how will rains and monsoon disappear?
We are yet to hear the government's reponse on the fact that 11/17 safety measures(in case of an accident) recommended by AERB was violated by Kudankulam.
Also, what are the relief measures for the people displaced around kudankulam?
Be sure you will win this fight. Because of this struggle is the
struggle for the younger generation. Central government should hold
talks with the people. The state government should make every effort,
The general tenor of this report and the re-appearance of Dr. Udayakumar from his reported recent hiding lead me to speculate that some deal may have been struck between the pro-s and anti-s. Could this peaceful sea-front "siege" covered ad nauseam in the media be a face saver?
"Electricity is but the fleeting byproduct from Nuclear Power. The
actual product is forever deadly Radioactive Waste."
Don's compare Nuclear Energy with Alcohol and Tobacco.
It is just 30 yrs of power and 10,000 yrs of suffering....
Is it good?
Rains will disappear. Then no water, no food.
Kudankulam will destroy everything in South India.
None of them will ever visit Kanyakumari. Southern Kerala will be a
dead shore.
Monsoon will disappear from India.
DO you want that?
Say no to Nuclear Energy. Say no to Kudankulam. The reactor is a
devil.
We have the best reactor that is the Sun. Sun is enough to meet all
our energy demands. Welcome Solar Energy. We have enough of Sun.
Wind energy in tamil nadu is 7000 mws, the govt has yet to pay 1500 crs to these
wind power producers, these people are suffering,
Industry is suffering for lack of power, not being intimated on the timings of power
cuts, and even if 8 hrs of power is given, its not given in a stretch such that a shift
can run.
However the foreign industries started in TN are getting power 24/7, why this
discrimination?
How about privatising the generation of power and power rates, let anybody put
power generation, and let the market decide the price, instead of government having
to pay, let those industries who want it most decide to take it at a price of their
choice.
Why should we create an artificial scarcity of power when theres enough coal, gas,
sun and wind in our country and then allow nuclear power,
Especially when USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan etc have reservations of starting
new plants in their countries and shutting down existing ones, why should we be a
market to their plants?
This issue can be solved amicably. There are those who support the nuclear plant and those who oppose the plant (mainly due to fear). Let those supporters of the plant who live far away from the plant exchange their land property and house with those who fear the plant and want to move away from the plant. It is that easy.
Tobacco and alcohol are voluntary. Contamination of our bodies by nuclear is involuntary. As shown by me, during the nuclear era, 23 to 29 million infant mortalities occurred in India during the nuclear era till 2010 because of the release of 477 PBq of Sr90 by hydrogen and fission bombs and other nuclear projects like reprocessing and power. Fukushima released an estimated 1200 PBq to cause from 11 March 2011 an estimated 84 million infant mortalities in India alone,while the release of 8.2 PBq of Sr90 by Chernobyl caused an estimated 579200 excess Indian infant deaths from 1986 to 1989.These are all involuntary deaths trampling on our right to live with impunity because they are perfect mass murders(Sakharov,1990, Memoirs). And indebtedness is to the extent of 5 times the energy delivered by a nuclear power programme during its entire lifetime. Do the homework gopala and then wield the chakra:
Southern states are longing for power, Lack of power in Tamil Nadu is killing the industrial development. This plant was conceived and large investment has gone thru and when the plant is cleared by safety agencies, the protests are more political and have hidden agenda. Why not the protestors if their genuine concern is safety of fish and water insects and also safety of villages around in the case of worst eventuality not raising the same flag around liquor shops, tobacco outlets. Are they not continuing to do harm, dont they have statistics to intrepret that tobacco is killing people and so also alcohol. Come on guys, we need power and if we dont take this 1000Mw we shall be starving without power many more years as no other investmet in power for south is in in anvil.
I fail to understand the CM's strategy.There is an arrest warrant pending against Mr.Udhayakumar and he is seen in public.CM is playing dirty politics.On one hand she wants the power for her state and on the other hand she indirectly encourages elements against the plant.She seems to have lost her bold approach,for which she was famous.She is eying only the parliamentary elections ,dreaming to capture 40 seats. But,the common public is losing hopes on her and she may not come out successfully,even if she pumps all her wealth.
Please Email the Editor