Activists plan to blockade the Kudankulam nuclear power project site in Tamil Nadu afresh from Tuesday, after work resumed there on Monday. Accompanied by police escort, around 350 scientists, officials and engineers of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) had entered the site after 11 days to report for duty.
In the evening, Pushparayan, activist of Movement of People Against Nuclear Energy, said: “Our volunteers will lay siege at the project site from Tuesday morning to paralyse activities.”
Work had stopped on the two 1,000MW power plants following continuous protests since October 13. Only a skeleton staff had remained to carry out the essential maintenance work.
The protests had set back the commissioning of the plants by six months, said NPCIL officials. They were to start in December.
On Monday, as eight busloads of NPCIL employees entered the site, protests intensified in the nearby villages.
Over 200 women activists, led by elected members of the local bodies, told police they would block all entries to the project site from Tuesday if they continued providing escort to the NPCIL staff.
The relay hunger strike by villagers at Idinthakarai, 2 km from the plant, has already entered its seventh day. Similar protests were held at Tiruchendur and Nagarkoil as well.
{{/usCountry}}The relay hunger strike by villagers at Idinthakarai, 2 km from the plant, has already entered its seventh day. Similar protests were held at Tiruchendur and Nagarkoil as well.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, CM J Jayalalithaa had written to PM Manmohan Singh, asking that work on the plant be halted till the locals’ fears were allayed. On October 20, the Centre said it was setting up a team of experts to convince all stakeholders regarding the safety of the project.