New Delhi: With the commissioning of the much-delayed Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project expected by the end of this month, anti-nuclear activists are planning to lay siege to the facility on Monday, to press for scrapping the project.
Protesters are expected to block the roads leading up to the plant site and lay siege from the seaside. The plant had earlier been given a go by Atomic Energy Regulatory Body to test the performance of various systems of the reactor amid protests in the region.
The activists had on October 8 last laid a similar siege to the site, pressing their demands. "Our demands remain the same. Scrap the plant, release those who were arrested and stop the police control on our activists," he said, adding fishermen and supporters from 10 fishing hamlets would take part in the siege.
Preparatory works are on a full swing at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district, as the commissioning of the plant is expected during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin this month-end.
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board has already granted the plant its permission for the 'second heat up' - a process which will put to performance tests various systems of the nuclear reactor. "We are busy with the preparatory works at the plant. But every step has to be reviewed by AERB. But it is possible to start the operation by the end of this month," official sources had said.
According to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, units 1 and 2 of KNPP were initially scheduled to start commercial operation in December 2007 and December 2008 respectively. But, as of October this year, units 1 and 2 have completed 99.63 per cent and 92.66 per cent of physical progress.
Commissioning of the first unit of the Indo-Russian project was originally scheduled for December last year but has been delayed due to protests.
With additional information from PTI
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