Entry to Jaitapur denided to anti-nuke activists

The protest march 'From Tarapur to Jaitapur' started on April 23 by the anti-nuke activists to put pressure on the Centre as well as State government to suspend the Jaitapur project and also other proposed foreign plants in different states of the country, was today stopped at Mahad town before entering Ratnagiri district where the proposed project site is located, the protesters said.

"In spite of threats, arrests at various places on our way, we could come successfully till the historic Chavdar Pond in Mahad  but could not enter Ratnagiri district due to the imposition of prohibitory orders,"  Vasishali  Patil, convener of Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti told PTI today from Mahad.

Several project-affected people from different places including those from Tarapur (Maharashtra), Haripur (west Bengal), Kakrapar (Gujarat), Madhya Pradesh and Haryana besides the NGOs participated in the protest rally.

During the last three days, several people were detained at Bhoisar, Pen and Wadkhal police stations, Patil said.

Some of the eminent participants included Dr S P Uday Kumar, convener of National alliance of anti-nuclear movements, Banwarilal Sharma of Azadi Bachao andolan and Mathani Saldana of National Fishermen Forum of India, she said.

The proposed Jaitapur nuclear power project has been opposed tooth and nail by the activists and common people.

On April 18, Tavrez Sejkar, a local was  killed in police firing at Jaitapur when Shiv Sena activists along with few locals set police station on fire protesting against the proposed 9,900 MW project.

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray today said in Ratnagiri that his party will continue to oppose the project.

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India is yet to give its final proposal on construction of two out of six imported nuclear power plants, each having capacity of 1650 MW, at Jaitapur.