Anti-K'kulam protesters lay siege to nuclear plant

Coinciding with the second anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, anti-nuclear protestors lay siege to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) from the sea with their fishing boats.

Tension gripped Kudankulam and nearby villages as fisher-folk from the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, led by S P Udayakumar, in over 500 boats formed a protest-chain shouting slogans against the Russia-aided project.

Udayakumar led the protesters, vehemently denouncing the state and central governments, besides the Department of Atomic Energy, for “their refusal to disseminate information about the project and proper disaster mitigation training to the local people.”
The protest was also held in the backdrop of the KNPP and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India’s repeated extensions of the first 1,000 MW unit’s date of commissioning, now expected in April.

While the police made no arrests, there was no reported damage to any structure by the activists, a senior police official told Deccan Herald.

Though some protesters breached the 500-metres prohibitory zone-line on the sea front and tried to advance towards the plant from the rear, no damage was done, the official said. There was also a report of two country bombs exploding but “we are investigating it,” the official said.