Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu:
One of the country's top scientists, ex-President and 'missile man' APJ Abdul Kalam visited the upcoming Kundankulam nuclear plant today. He inspected the security measures at the stalled nuclear plant and gave it a clean chit.
"This plant has the third generation safety features. It's safe. I'm fully satisfied," Mr Kalam said.
But Mr Kalam's distinguished scientific background and his son of the soil status did not cut ice with villagers who are demanding the plant's closure. Known for his pro-nuclear stand, protesters say Mr Kalam's clean chit is not surprising.
"We are not just worried about the safety of the reactor, we need to know about the waste issues, the decommissioning issues, the overall freshwater issues. There are so many other issues that have been left unanswered until now," said SP Udhayakumar, Coordinator, People's Movement against Nuclear Energy.
Work at the Rs 13000-crore project has been paralysed for almost a month following protests by thousands of villagers.
The Tamil Nadu Cabinet too has asked for a temporary halt in work.
Soon, the Central government appointed expert committee will begin interaction with local communities in a bid to convince them of the plant's safety.
With Mr Kalam's initiatives not appearing to win hearts, the challenge for the government committee is only getting tougher.