Government to ‘rethink’ TN nuclear plant as protests mount

Massive protests around the site of the upcoming 2,000-MW Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNP) in southern Tamil Nadu have forced the centre to do a re-think on the project, being built with Russian collaboration.

"As far as the central government is concerned safety of the people is paramount; only then comes power production. Besides, security should not be compromised … the union government will reconsider" the project, V Narayanasamy, minister of state in the prime minister's office, said after visiting the venue of the mass protest at Idinthakarai, close to the project site.

The protests entered the 11th day today, as villagers (mostly fisher-folk) fear a decimation of their livelihood if the project goes ahead.

Narayanasamy, himself a Tamilian, seems to have been cast into the role of mediator. But the protesters are not satisfied with his assurances, demanding nothing less than the unequivocal scrapping of the project.

Even Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalilathaa has backed the protests; though observers feel this is more out of political expediency than actual convictions – she was earlier a whole-hearted supporter of the project.

Nonetheless, her backing has probably had more impact on the union government's reaction than the actual protests or the Fukushima disaster in Japan, which has led most countries to abandon fresh nuclear power projects.