PIL against K-plant nod quashed

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The Madras high court has dismissed a petition, which sought to declare as null and void, the clearance granted by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) for ‘Initial Fuel Loading (IFL) and First Approach to Criticality (FAC)’ of Unit 1 of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).

A division bench comprising Justices P Jyothimani and P Devadass dismissed the public interest litigation filed by G. Sundarrajan.

According to the petitioner, following the Fukushima disaster, the AERB had stipulated 17 requirements to be complied with before starting the plant.

But the NPCIL had not complied with all the requirements. Hence, AERB has to wait till the requirements were complied with before issuing the clearance for IFL and FAC.

AERB counsel R. Sureshkumar submitted that 17 requirements were not necessary ingredients for the purpose of starting a nuclear project or loading fuel and the 17 recommendations were only made with abundant caution to avoid any sort of accident as it took place in Fukushima.

KKNPP was located 1,500km away from the nearest off-shore fault line (Andaman-Nicobar-Sumatra fault) capable of generating Tsunami.

“Therefore, there is absolutely no possibility for both earthquake and tsunami to happen simultaneously as it had happened in Japan,” the bench added.

The bench said as AERB was an expert body and once such regulatory body requires compliance of 17 recommendations, it was of the view that it was not for the court to look into that with suspicion.

Idinthakarai kids petition CM

Women and children of Idinthakarai on Thursday made a fresh appeal to scrap Koodankulam nuclear power plant and sought chief minister Jayalalithaa’s intervention.

Protesters from Idinthakarai vowed to continue their agitation peacefully against the Indo-Russian venture.

Speaking to reporters here, the children said they are supporting their parents’ fight against the nuke plant. “The setting up of the nuke plank in the area endangers the lives of people in the state.

We will continue our struggle until the plant is closed,” they said, reiterating their radiation fears, insisting that the fruition of the project would affect local farming and fishing activities.

Dismissing the Centre’s claim that anti nuke plant protest was funded by foreign forces, Vijin, a native of Idinthakarai, said that there was no foreign funding behind their anti-nuclear agitation. “W are protesting with hard-earned money of our parents,” she said.

In a petition seeking the intervention of Jayalalithaa for scrapping the project, the children said they believe that the nuke plant would cause health hazards and would not help protect the natural resources of the state.

Earlier, they were intercepted and questioned by the police at Perungalathur when they arrived from Idinthakarai in a bus. “We have come here to hand over a petition to CM. But police treated us like terrorists and anti-nationals,” they complained.