New Delhi:
The Prime Minister has once again urged Jayalalithaa emphasizing the importance of the nuclear plant at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. He alerts her to the fact that if the plant is not allowed to become functional, "this would impact on the state's development and industrialization plans."
(Read: PM's letter to Jayalalithaa)Protests near the plant have begun growing again -more than 5,000 people have joined a relay hunger strike there. Villagers in this coastal part of the state say the nuclear plant should not be allowed to function because it endangers their safety and livelihood. The Chief Minister had written to the PM last month, asking that work at the plant be suspended.
International experts and the central government have certified that the Kudankulam atomic plant meets all safety standards; it's also designed to withstand a tsunami.
The first of the two nuclear reactors at Kudankulam is almost ready; it was scheduled to start generating power in a few weeks. This nuclear plant, built at a cost of 13,000 cores, is designed to be India's single-largest source of atomic energy.
Representatives of different political parties and activists from Tamil Nadu met Dr Manmohan Singh last week to share their objections to the nuclear plant. In his letter to Jayalalithaa today, the PM says he told the delegation that "Tamil Nadu is one of the most industrialized States of the country whose power requirements are growing constantly. Of the 2000 MWe power to be generated by Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Units 1 and 2, the allocation of power to Tamil Nadu is 925 MWe. In case the prospects of availability of this power are suddenly withdrawn this would impact on the state's development and industrialization plans."
Dr Singh also reassures Jayalalithaa that "The Central Government attaches the highest importance to ensuring that the use of nuclear energy in the country meets the highest safety standards...the Government fully shares the concerns of the people of the area and will take all steps to allay their fears."