Kudankulam:
People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy's leader SP Udaykumar who has been spearheading the protests against Kudankulam nuclear plant has slammed the two-hour electricity generation and supply by Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant authorities as a gimmick to appease the Russians.
Calling it a "drama" which unfolded while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in Russia, Mr Udaykumar said, "There are different versions by different officials. Mr Narayanswamy on October 6th said 400 MW of electricity was being generated, another minister says they are waiting for spare parts, there has been no transparency."
Talking to NDTV earlier, the Station Director of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, RS Sunder said that "the electricity generated was a milestone for India ad an important test for Kudankulam Nuclear power plant authorities".
"We will strive to attain our 50 per cent power level and the commercial declaration of the power plant by this year end," Mr Sunder added.
Till a few months ago, many like Selvamani, a restaurant owner who lives a few kilometres away from the power plant, used to be without electricity for 10 to 12 hours a day. Today he's hopeful that things will change soon.
For the first time, the newly built plant has supplied 160 MW electricity to the southern grid for two hours as part of testing and synchronization. But despite the hope, there is fear in the villages around Kudankulam.
Selvamani says, "As a village we need electricity. We need lots of power, but we are also scared of the nuclear plant so near to our houses"