JOIN USSwarms of police and para-military personnel thronged the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu and surrounding coastal hamlets on Tuesday as commissioning of the first unit of the nuclear reactors commenced amidst anti-nuke activists launching an indefinite hunger strike in protest.
Over 2,000 state police personnel have reportedly been deployed in the area. Besides the CISF personnel, four companies of CRPF, one company of RAF from Kerala and battalions of Tamil Nadu special police have been pressed into service. More forces are scheduled to move in after the poll duty at Sankarankovil gets over on Wednesday.
However, police sources denied reports of all roads leading to Kudankulam being “blocked and sealed.”
Police sources told Deccan Herald over phone that the district administration has promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC in Radhapuram taluk following the hunger strike by anti-KNPP activists, led by the convenor of the ‘People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)’ S P Udayakumar, at the St Lourdes’ church premises in Idinthakarai village.
The prohibitory orders, to remain in effect till April 2, will restrict the movement of outsiders inside the taluk, police said. Top officers led by ADGP george and South zone IG Rajesh Das are camping there to keep a vigil on the developments.