Drop methane project, says Udhayakumar

The government must take all steps to drop the coal bed methane extraction project that had the potential to devastate all agricultural activities in the fertile delta regions of the State, People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) leader SP. Udhayakumar said here on Saturday.

Interacting with the media at Tiruvarur Junction as part of his sensitisation and awareness programme on rails against the nuclear energy and for environment-related issues, Mr. Udhayakumar said his organisation had embarked on a movement to stall progress on nuclear energy programmes at Kudankulam, Kalpakkam, India-based Nutrino Observatory in Theni district, Nuclear Waste Research Centre at Vadapalani in Madurai district for protecting the future generations of Tamil Nadu and to conserve their livelihood rights.

‘Illegal’

Despite being declared illegal by the National Green Tribunal, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant had been built and there were active plans under way for its expansion much against the people’s wish. The expansion plans must be dropped forthwith, he urged.

Similarly, in the garb of ONGC exploration, thousands of acres of fertile land in the Cauvery delta districts had been handed over on a platter to private players for extracting methane, a move that could devastate the whole of delta region and render agriculture impossible for generations to come. The Centre must immediately dump the coal-bed methane extraction project that had the potential to end farming activities effectively, Mr. Udhayakumar said.

Parties such as the AIADMK and the DMK, which claim to espouse the cause of Tamils, must make their stand clear on those issues, he said.

Wants Kudankulam plant expansion plans to be dropped

Thousands of acres of fertile land in delta under threat