Thirteen Reasons Why We Do Not Want the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project

KUDANKULAM ANTI-NUCLEAR SATYAGRAHA, INDIA, 29 Aug 2011

S. P. Udayakumar – TRANSCEND Media Service

We have been opposing the [Indian] Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) ever since it was conceived in the mid-1980s. The people of Koodankulam village themselves were misled by false promises such as 10,000 jobs, water from Pechiparai dam in Kanyakumari district, and fantastic development of the region. We tried in vain to tell them that they were being deceived. Without any local support, we could not sustain the anti-Koodankulam movement for too long.

Now the people of Koodankulam know and understand that this is not just a fisherfolk’s problem, they may be displaced, and they have to deal with radioactive poison. Their joining the movement in 2007 has invigorated the campaign now. And (almost) all of us here in the southernmost tip of India oppose the Koodankulam NPP for a few specific reasons:

[1] The KKNPP reactors are being set up without sharing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Site Evaluation Study and Safety Analysis Report with the people, or the people’s representatives or the press. No public hearing has been conducted for the first two reactors either. There is absolutely no democratic decision-making in or public approval for this project.

[2] The Tamil Nadu Government G.O. 828 (29.4.1991 – Public Works Department) establishes clearly that “area between 2 to 5 km radius around the plant site, [would be] called the sterilization zone.” This means that people in this area could be displaced. But the KKNPP authorities promise orally and on a purely adhoc basis that nobody from the neighboring villages would be displaced. This kind of adhocism and doublespeak causes suspicion and fears of displacement.

[3] More than 1 million people live within the 30 km radius of the KKNPP which far exceeds the AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) stipulations. It is quite impossible to evacuate this many people quickly and efficiently in case of a nuclear disaster at Koodankulam.

[4] The coolant water and low-grade waste from the KKNPP are going to be dumped in to the sea which will have a severe impact on fish production and catch. This will undermine the fishing industry, push the fisherfolks into deeper poverty and misery and affect the food security of the entire southern Tamil Nadu and southern Kerala.

[5] Even when the KKNPP projects function normally without any incidents and accidents, they would be emitting Iodine 131, 132, 133, Cesium 134, 136, 137 isotopes, strontium, tritium, tellurium and other such radioactive particles into our air, land, crops, cattle, sea, seafood and ground water. Already the southern coastal belt is sinking with very high incidence of cancer, mental retardation, down syndrome, defective births due to private and government sea-sand mining for rare minerals including thorium. The KKNPP will add many more woes to our already suffering people.

[6] The quality of construction and the pipe work and the overall integrity of the KKNPP structures have been called into question by the very workers and contractors who work there in Koodankulam. There have been international concerns about the design, structure and workings of the untested Russian-made VVER-1000 reactors.

[7] The then Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forest Mr. Jairam Ramesh announced a few months ago that the central government had decided not to give permission to KKNPP 3-6 as they were violating the Coastal Regulation Zone stipulations. It is pertinent to ask if KKNPP 1 and 2 are not violating the CRZ terms.

[8] Many political leaders and bureaucrats try to reassure us that there would be no natural disasters in the Koodankulam area. How can they know? How can anyone ever know? The 2004 December tsunami did flood the KKNPP installations. There was a mild tremor in the surrounding villages of Koodankulam on March 19, 2006. On August 12, 2011, there were tremors in 7 districts of Tamil Nadu.

[9] Indian Prime Minster himself has spoken about terrorist threats to India’s nuclear power plants. Most recently, on August 17, 2001, Minister of State for Home, Mr. Mullappally Ramachandran said: “the atomic establishments continue to remain prime targets of the terrorist groups and outfits.”

[10] The important issue of liability for the Russian plants has not been settled yet. Defying the Indian nuclear liability law, Russia insists that the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA), secretly signed in 2008 by the Indian and Russian governments, precedes the liability law and that Article 13 of the IGA clearly establishes that NPCIL is solely responsible for all claims of damages.

[11] In 1988 the authorities said that the cost estimate of the Koodakulam 1 and 2 projects was Rs. 6,000 crores. In November 1998, they said the project cost would be Rs. 15,500. In 2001, the ministerial group for economic affairs announced that the project cost would be Rs. 13,171 crores and the Indian government would invest Rs. 6,775 crores with the remainder amount coming in as Russian loan with 4 percent interest. The fuel cost was estimated to be Rs. 2,129 crores which would be entirely Russian loan. No one knows the 2011 figures of any of these expenses. No one cares to tell the Indian public either.

[12] The March 11, 2011 disaster in Fukushima has made it all too clear to the whole world that nuclear power plants are prone to natural disasters and no one can really predict their occurrence. When we cannot effectively deal with a nuclear disaster, it is only prudent to prevent it from occurring. Even the most industrialized and highly advanced country such as Germany has decided to phase out their nuclear power plants by the year 2022. Switzerland has decided to shun nuclear power technology. In a recent referendum, some 90 percent of Italians have voted against nuclear power in their country. Many Japanese prefectures and their governors are closing nuclear power plants in their regions. Both the United States and Russia have not built a new reactor in their countries for 2-3 decades ever since major accidents occurred at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

In our own country, Mamta Banerjee government in West Bengal has stopped the Russian nuclear power park project at Haripur in Purba Medhinipur district and taken a position that they do want any nuclear power project in their state. Similarly, the people of Kerala have decided not to host any nuclear power project in their state.

[13] And finally, the Indian government’s mindless insistence on nuclear power, utmost secrecy in all of its nuclear agreements and activities, and its sheer unwillingness to listen to the people’s concerns and fears make us very doubtful about the real benefactors of all this nuclear hoopla. Is it all for us, the people of India? Or for the corporate profits of the Russian, American and French companies? Or for the Indian military? Are the lives and futures of the Indian citizens inferior to all these?
_____________________

S.P. Udayakumar, Ph.D. – Tamil Nadu, India:

* South Asian Community Center for Education and Research (SACCER)
* TRANSCEND Network, South Asia Convener (TSA) (For Rethinking South Asia)
* People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)
* National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM) (For a Nuclear-Free India that has No Deals, No Mines, No Reactors, No Dumps, and No Bombs)

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 29 Aug 2011.

Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: Thirteen Reasons Why We Do Not Want the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, is included. Thank you.

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130 Responses to “Thirteen Reasons Why We Do Not Want the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project”

  1. UDHAYAKUMAR OPPONENT says:

    Udhayakumar should be given with capital punishment before ajmal kasab. He is a fool, and making others fool. Is he ready to disconnect EB connection in his home? He says windmills and solar panels can fulfill entire requirement of Tamilnadu. What happened? In recent days The powercut time exceeds day by day because of the failure of windmills. Windmills fully depend on power of Air which is not constant at alltime. So Nuclear powerplant is the only solution to resolve the problem. My native is Idinthakarai. As an Engineering gradute am feeling why peoples believe the words of Udhayakumar. He did Ph.d only in political science, not in Nuclear Science. So Udhayakumar should be hanged in the koodankulam powerplant campus.

    • Padam Priyal says:

      Nuclear power plant is not the only solution for meeting the power demands in TN. Despite, its use in providing electricity, the effects due to the nuclear wastage are horrific and irreversible. The toll you need to pay for will be the genetic disease in newborn, cancer and many more. This is not a vague statement. There are enormous research articles and proofs published already. U can educate urself through a simple search in google. It is very obvious that u dont have any idea on the after effects of dumping nuclear wastes in the undersea. Being an engineer u should have known all these before raising ur support for nuclear plant.

      The govt. didn’t build the nuclear power plant in one night. The money and the resource being spend to put up a nuclear power plant cud have been used for establishing solar power plants which are safer, greener, cheap and effective than nuclear plants. Technology should serve for better future and should not be a sword cutting off the quality of human life.

      It is not Dr.Udhayakumar who is misleading the people. It is only the govt. and the irresponsible citizens like u diverting the cause in the name of frequent power-cut.

      • Raghu says:

        Stop driving or travelling in any means of transport systems . Stop using Soaps, Detergents, Mosquito repellents, Plastic bags, Electricity, all Plastic materials, pesticides, etc, etc………

    • Franklin says:

      Hi U said you are from idindakarai i am also from idindakarai, you said you village peoples are fool, is it,where you have done your engineering.Instalation capacity of the wind mill how much now do you know, did you know how much power is produced in tuticorin district by solar power. did you how much money goverment spend this projects. i am against nuclear energy, as you said personally i fel guilt and i installed solor enery for my house. but you do not have right to ask me to shut down the enery from EB. Please be rational read about atomic enery and its effects,

  2. Naveen Kishore says:

    A little bit of research would have chilled down your anger for him (Udaya Kumar). Even if they(govt) open Kudankulam plant, that would contribute only 5% of the states power need. Since you said that you are an engineering grad, I have a question for you. Have you ever thought of this nuclear waste produced by these reactors. Well, they (AERB) say that they make a facility locally which can hold the wastes for 7 years and then they transport it to the center (Delhi) for reprocessing. I would say, this waste management plan which they propose is not credible. This reprocessing has limitations and it does not serve much in terms of overall reprocessing. Once a nuclear waste is created, it has to be abandoned under water for thousands of years undisturbed. Please be rationale on your decisions, not just blindly falling for government’s agenda trap.

    Government is fooling us, people. It’s just a cash tree for politicians, big corporates, world bank, IMF… The gov is keep on filing cases against Udayakumar but they have never shown an evidence of him acquiring international funds. But its just the opposite. Its the gov who is getting money for all these catastrophic projects which they build, from the world bank and IMF. And the Indian govt is being forced by these two giant institutions along with the US Federal govt to lend huge amount of cash from them for these useless projects. But we people who know nothing about this, support the sinister governments, corporates, world bank and IMF also defend for them but oppose all environmentalists who raise their voice for us. Kindly, educate yourself on these areas, simple engineering grad will not help you in long run.

    More over, in present world one should need political science to understand anything and everything happening around them. Because the world is run by politicians not the scientists. But the nuclear science focuses one and only on developing nuclear reactors and destroying environment and everything else. I am an Engineering grad as well currently doing my Masters (MSc) dissertation on radio frequency.

    • Vishnu says:

      Govt has given money ?
      It has only given money to build this plant.

      Ask Udhaykumat, from where he is getting money to take off this strikes and troubles he is making.
      The money he gets is purely through an illegal way.

      Ask him this Ques if you can and comment back !!

      • Naveen Kishore says:

        There is no need for me to ask him about that. It’s government’s job. However, have you got any evidence to support your strong claims of him receiving illegal cash by any means?

      • Santhosh says:

        He states that he isin’t employed anywhere and IT records show that his NGO hasn’t received much money since a long long time. Suddenly he gets several crore rupees and is spearheading a movement. Isin’t that suspicious enough?

  3. Ganesh Jaygan says:

    More people die of snake bites than from nuclear radiation. Risks are apparent in every walk of life. The smart thing to do is mitigate risks. To say that 100 people die from road accidents everyday, so I won’t be using a road is just stupid. What a smart and practical person does is, to say I will follow the road rules (although, this itself might be a cause to die in India), wear protective equipment, be alert and drive defensively. From a technology perspective, I have no issues with the plant. To me the only issue seems to the liability waiver [#10] and poor education of the locals. The First one will never get a straight answer from the Government. Let us accept the fact that the poor taxpayer will be screwed if an accident were to happen and let us all pray that it never happens. The second will not succeed without the support of Udhaya Kumar. Every other issue that Udhaykumar raises can be effectively countered or at the least efficiently addressed.

    • Padam Priyal says:

      With all due respect, Only prayers cannot save humanity. Pls realize that our system is not 100% fool proof and we cannot escape from its illness unless u stop it now. What is the technological perspective, when there is a safe alternative technology to the nuclear power? The very same technology cannot succeed in making nuclear wastage eco friendly. Please bear in mind about the kind of world we leave for the future generation to live in. Protection from nuclear power plants are not as easy and simple as in road accidents.

    • Vishnu says:

      Well said Ganesh !!

  4. Vishnu says:

    Hi Udayakumar,

    Nice article but this will not help you in succeed in your plan to under grade India’s developement.

    I am from the Kudankulam locality. I know how things have developed and prospered because of this plant.
    Good roads, frequent pulic transport, development of local students in the nearby government schools.

    The village which didnt even had a proper tea shops before 10 years now has 2-3 jewellery shops.

    How does this change happen? Did Udayakumar came and helped the local area to get developed in such a manner ?

    The guy who was not seen and heard for past 10 years comes and shows up with 13 stupid reasons when the plant is ready to fucntion and run for Tamilnadu’s good !!

    Risk is there everywhere. You are teaching the risk taking to the fishermen ? Know know how rish is that ?
    If you care so much for the fishermen why didnt you buy them a mini fishing boat or build them a good fish port ?

    If you are so much aganish the N-Plant, why didnt you find any alternative and more efficient power resource than this plant ?

    Dont say that all countries are shouting down there N-Plant as they have known the hazards.

    The developed country have produced enough power from the N-Plant and as they have a small population compared to us, they are shutting it. This is not the same for India.

    Instead of pointing out 13 negative facts about the N-Plants, if you think you will get 100+ positive facts and reasons to LIKE this Kudankulam plant.

    Please do post a blog in which you are providing the alternatives to meet the power requirements which this plant is going to meet. Then I will support you !!


    Thanks,
    Vishnu – An Enginner

    • Mohamed says:

      Actually the thing is we all are under nature’s hands the most intelligent thing is to use it wisely as per our requirement.As a Civil Engineer I suggest Strongly Nuclear Power plants are Hazards in whatsoever it is concerned like terrorist attacks,natural disaster etc.I have an alternate idea in which we can work on it.Countries like UAE (DUBAI) building Small islands and massive structures in sea.Why cant we build a Windmill along the sea sides fortunately Tamilnadu starting from chennai to kanyakumari we have several kilometeres in which we caould get frequent amount of wind which is required..So, “Think well,act Wise”

    • vasanth says:

      If you say why nuclear plants are safe why can’t they build one in New Delhi. No country in the world will build Nuclear power plant in their capital city. This one reason is enough to shut people who support Nuclear power plants. The rulers of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha and Karuna cannot get power from Neyveli how they are going to get power from Koodankulam. Goverment is negotiating with terrorists and Naxals why it is not negotiating with Mr. Udayakumar who is protesting in Gandhian way.

      • Vikram says:

        You are severely regionally biased and opposing due to your regional convenience only, biased people like you are a shame.

        A Nuclear Plant (Narora 2*220 MW) in Uttar Pradesh is just 100 Km from Delhi and its situated on the border of my Home Town Budaun(U.P). A Nuclar power plant also planned in Haryana is very close to Delhi. Delhi have no land to constructs a nuclear power plant.

        In Narora Nuclear power plant one incident occurred a long back, Govt said it was a fire incident.

        I also don’t support Nuclear power generation theory and support solar power plants only but my oppose is based on principal and not on regional bases.

    • Franklin says:

      Hi Vishnu You have written you are an engineer and you are from near koodankulam, 10 years before there is no good tea shop. you do not have shame to say like this, if you do not have a good road 10 years before it our fault not used our rights to have one like that, 25 years a plant is being constructed. If you are an engineer you should have asked why this much delay. While they were starting this project in koodankulam there is no wind mill at all in that area but now we have around 6500 MW instalation capacity. If you are really an engineer you should done some home work.

    • DR SACHIN SONI says:

      I MYSELF BELONG TO RAWATBHATA, A PLACE NEAR TO KOTA RAJASTHAN WITH A HUB OF 8 NUCLEAR REACTORS, 1 HEAVY WATER PLANT. WE PEOPLE OF RAWATBHATA ARE HAPPY AND WE ARE PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT OF A NUCLEAR POWER TOWN. I WAS BORN IN RAWATBHATA 27 YEARS AGO AND NEVER SAW ANY SORT OF SO CALLED NUCLEAR EMERGENCY. WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL VILLAGE IN TO A LARGE TOWN BECAUSE OF THE NUCLEAR PLANT. AS A DOCTOR I CAN SAY THAT, THERE IS NO TYPICAL HEALTH DISEASE NOTICED IN THE REGION OF RAWATBHATA WHICH CAN BE LINKED AS OUTCOME OF NUCLEAR PLANT.
      THANKS

  5. Santhosh says:

    KKNPP is a necessity. Nuclear power is our only way forward. There is no chance whatsoever that solar and wind energy can fulfill our energy needs. Moreover, the costs involved to produce the same amount of power through solar panels is very high. Windmills are obviously not a reliable source of energy and it will be unwise to invest heavily on them.
    We already have a nuclear plant in Kalpakkam and there hasn’t been any problem there until now. Mr. Udaykumar should stop this propaganda immediately and focus on doing something productive.

    – An Engineer actively involved in various power projects in many countries

    • vasanth says:

      Have you ever worked in Nuclear Projects?

      • Santhosh says:

        No. But I am pretty sure you have no clue about the power sector, leave alone nuclear power.

      • Franklin says:

        So if you do not have any experience in Nuclear power then you do not have any rights to talk about that. If you are working in power projects you think that you know very well about nuclear , Poor guy … did you know malasia closed the nuclear project because of people strike. Have you know how chernobil accident happend if not first read it, The accendent happens always. Even Bhopal happend 20000 People died Where were you, when our Indian Goverment did not pay any single ruppe to them. But after the Bhopal accident also people still living there, the difference is if any accident happen in nuclear you have leave that place for 25000 years.
        is it OK for you.

    • Santhosh says:

      What a hypocritical statement! The very basis of this protest is the absence of knowledge about nuclear energy. That doesn’t mean every person in the surrounding area must be made an expert in nuclear physics so that they are convinced that the place is safe. You have to trust the scientists working on this project. Nobody will want a disaster. Just because they don’t have nuclear power plants elsewhere in the world doesn’t mean we mustn’t have it too.
      The tsunami which triggered the Fukishima disaster was less powerful than the tsunami which struck India. The kalpakkam power plant, which is on the seashore, was not affected. I don’t understand why you come up with useless protests which affect the growth of the country.

    • mediaspider says:

      what is the cost effectiveness of nuclear power plant- from resource to waste management? do we indian public know what we do with the nuclear waste we produce? the cost of production and purchase of fuel, the health cost and the waste management cost, altogether is a tragic big amount of tax-money! decommissioning and dismantling an outdated plant would cost trillions! do our children want to grow up in radioactive scrape-yard caressing their malformed and mutated off-springs?
      if you see the children of Chernobyl, three mile islanders, and if you love your won family and friends…you should realize!
      the blunt people only realize when nature gives the right slap in their face!

  6. Naveen Kishore says:

    Read this for the whole idea of Nuclear plant.
    http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?279492

    Watch this for ongoing Kalpakkam disaster conveniently hidden from the outside world.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OlIsKO2yeas#!

  7. chukkuni says:

    1.NEARLY 18 HRS/DAY POWER CUT IMPOSED IN REST OF TN EXCEPT CHENNAI IS SEEMS TO BE INTENTIONAL. WHEN AGITATION IS HIGH PEAK THEY ARE DOING PURPOSEFULLY TO FEEL THE IMPORTANCE OF KKNPP. WHEN ELECTION APPROACHED THE DRAMA WILL BE REVERSE.

    2.EITHER TN RULING OR OPPOSING PARTY AND CENTRAL GOVT IS FOR NUCLEAR PROJECT. UDAYAKUMAR BELIEVE IN FEW INNOCENT PEOPLE.

    3. IIT’S / NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS/EVEN PROFESSIONALS CAN’T REACH A SOLUTION.

    Cui bono?. SURVIVAL OF FITTEST.

    • vasanth says:

      Well said. The 18hrs power cut is done intentionally to subjugate people of Tamil Nadu to open KKNPP. Jayalalitha has joined hands with Congress secretly and playing drama.

  8. vasanth says:

    First you prove are you a Tamilian? I feel you are not a Tamilian. Koodankulam is of no use to Tamil Nadu. The power produced here is being taken to Sri Lanka and other states. Do you know the basics of Nucelar Physics. Go the internet and search for Chernobyl nuclear accident then you will know how many people killed and disabled. More than 2 lakhs people killed and more than a million disabled you shit. You lack general knowledge. You go through the following website.
    http://WWW.ENGLISHRUSSIA.COM then you will know the truth. You are a dumb indian. Even if million people killed with the government tell the truth.

    • Santhosh says:

      Power generated at KKNPP is for Sri Lanka? What next, the dinosaurs’ have signed up for a breeding program?
      Chernobyl disaster was due to the lack of fundamental safety measures. As a matter of fact, the number of people who die in coal mines is more than the number of people who have died due to nuclear radiation. If this yardstick is applied, then we shouldn’t manufacture any pesticide or any poisonous substances due to the loss of life at Bhopal.

      • mediaspider says:

        ignorance kills. and koodankulam will be a disaster. you place this primitive and unreliable Russian beast in a place centuries old cultures developed, its near the bio-diversity hot spots on our planet.
        fukushima plant was above 13meters above the sea level, still it was hit by the massive wall of water. koodankulam is 8.5meters above the mean sea level (as per gov. report). the indian government reports are a bundle of lies and fools assumptions! who are these so called experts? driving a car does not make you a automotive engineer! all our existing reactors are built by foreign engineers, our people are good in theory, like they were at schools. our experts dont have questions! our EPAs and other reports only have pros, no cons!
        wakep up!

    • vasanth says:

      Thank U for your response. Mr. Santosh. Just know the two terminologies 1) Stochastic effect and 2) Non-Stochastic(Acute) effect. Stochastic effect is a prolonged one. It will eat our body for years and result in cancer or gene mutation i.e., you will see your son or your grandson without mouth to eat or without leg or without ears or with one eye. Do you want to see your next generation like this. I too don’t want to see your next generation like this. 2) Non Stochastic(Acute) effect: this will result in immediated death within hours or days. what Mr. Harrison says in the previous comments is only 50 people died due to nuclear accident. That is Accute effect. What about the others who were effected by Stochastic effect. Radiation will kill the root of our sperm i.e., irreversible damage. No medicine. Think of a fruit which grows without seeds. Will it produce any new plants. Never. Your generation wants to see the next 50 years development. For this you have to be alive and thy your generation. Then its upto you.

    • Santhosh says:

      All this will happen IF there is a nuclear disaster. How have you concluded that there will be a nuclear disaster there? Do you know how the Chernobyl accident took place? You are talking as if somebody has planted a nuclear weapon in the KKNPP and it will blow the moment the plant is commissioned.

      • vasanth says:

        How you conclude that there will not be a nuclear disaster. Did you know how the Chernobyl accident occur. Even if the nuclear disaster occurs will the Government declare that. What happened to Bhopal Gas Tragedy. People protested during the construction of Union Carbide. Government crushed the protest saying this is an american company no danger will occur. Pro active thinking and practical thinking is essential. Even after 28 years people have birth defects. Our education system is only theoretical learning not practical learning. Think in different angle.

    • Santhosh says:

      I conclude that there will not be a nuclear disaster because Indian scientists have directly overseen the manufacture of the reactor in Russia.
      Before I go into why the Chernobyl disaster took place, do you what a nuclear reactor is or how a nuclear power plant works? How a reactor is supposed to function? What happens when there is an unexpected increase in power in the reactor?
      The disaster could have been averted if there had been a casing around the reactor. That was a fundamental flaw. Bhopal gas tragedy was also caused due to lack of fundamental safety measures. That has been rectified in KKNPP. We already have a nuclear reactor at Kalpakkam which is near the seashore and the tsunami which killed several thousands in India did not affect that plant. I guess that stands testimony to the fact that Indian nuclear scientists are technically competent to face such a disaster.

  9. sai says:

    very nice .its like a conversation. amazing.i liked it

  10. ML says:

    Hi, I have a serious doubt… Where was Udhayakumar sir, when the basic construction of the Nuclear reactor started??? I am not opposed or supporting him… But need to know this… They have spent lot over the construction, now how they will leave this project???

    • vasanth says:

      Dear Mahesh your question is right. Mr. Udayakumar started opposing the nuclear power plant at the early stage of construction. But the people had no awareness about nuclear knowledge and refused to support Mr. Udayakumar. After the internet and TV became popular people realised their mistake and start supporting Mr. Udayakumar.

  11. mahesh says:

    udaykumar should learn a lot from all engineers as he did a ph.d only in social science and i am a person doing research regarding nuclear atom in ph.d

  12. Devangshu says:

    Yeah… i too seriously feel like there is a conspiracy regarding the nuclear matter……. all the reasons of mr. Udayakumar are totally genuine and are to be answered by the govt. of tamil nadu as well as India… we’ve got the RIGHT TO INFORMATION and we should get all the informations proir to the matter…..

  13. sathya says:

    Ganesh, Santhosh and Vishnu mentioned in many places that they are Engineers, looks like they are speaking with narrow and stupid political views

    An Engineer(technical graduated person) has to think about the welbeing of his society from where he got the education, but these stupids are debating in a selfish nasist way,

    i think he is seeing too much stupid films thats why he is speaking about the conversion of tea shops to jewellery

    conversion of tea shops to jewellery is not the real devolopment, Each and every citizen wether rich or poor must enjoy the benefits of the world

    speak like a human,

    i regret to pronounce your names

    Atlast I have to tell you one thing, I am also an engineer

  14. sathya says:

    Also like to tell you that the peoples are not from south part of Tamil nadu expecially living in cities inhaling the carbon dioxide omitted from the vehicles have no rights to speak about this

  15. thamil says:

    As is well known, the Three Mile Island (TMI) in 1979 in USA, Chernobyl in 1986 in USSR, Fukushima in
    2011 are the nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents involving damage to the reactor core that have
    occurred in nearly 60 years of history of NPP operations in the world. The nuclear industry world over
    has a well‐structured system of using operating experience feedback. The nature, cause and impacts of
    these three accidents were critically analyzed based on reported data and analysis reports by expert
    agencies world over and it is concluded by experts in our country in the nuclear field that any accident of
    the type that occurred in TMI, Chernobyl and Fukushima can never take place at KKNPP. Further, the
    KKNPP has advanced design safety features which provide assurance of reactor cooling and containment
    of radioactivity under even hypothetical accident conditions. The facts being so, creating Fear in the
    minds of public with partial information and selected video clippings on Fukushima is mischievous and
    not in the interest of the local public and the nation

    • vasanth says:

      The same story was said during the Bhopal Tragedy i.e., The Union Carbide is an American Company and has many advanced equipments and Technology. But what happened. You have not mentioned the number of People died in the accident. If it is safe why Nuclear power plants not constructed in New Delhi. Any VIP is dare to live near Nuclear powerplant.
      Can you name any one of the expert agencies. Then why people in other states are protesting against NPP not only in Tamil Nadu.
      Prakash Karat a foolish communist leader opposes Jaithapur NPP and he wants to open KKNP. What a selfish leader? KKNP is a not a Nuclear Power Plant but it is a Nuclear Bomb.

      • mediaspider says:

        you are right, in case of nuclear bomb you will can predict when it would go off or you can foresee and plan.
        in case of a nuclear reactor, you would never know when it will go off.

        the consequences of both are almost the same- your death! if unlucky a very slow and painful death!

  16. Anthony says:

    Those who were supporting the project, let them firstly answer the quetions and claims asked by Mr.Udhaya Kumar. Some one said that after 10 yrs we were having tea stalls & jewellery shops in his village, and good roads and establishments all came, ofcourse these are all has to come by a good Government. Why you are worrying tomorrow Brothel houses also will come so send some of your family members you will feel good.

  17. mediaspider says:

    ready for this if you agree with koodankulam.
    http://radiationtest.blogspot.co.at/2011/12/chernobyl-fuel-lava-flowing-from-steam.html
    unless you wake up before the beast swallow you.

  18. mediaspider says:

    we should know, why we do not have our own indigenous nuclear reactor. apparently, our scientists have developed rocket propulsion systems based on indigenous technology (even when we had international embargoes on military technology and equipment transfer). however, in case of nuclear reactor, the nuclear MNCs push indian through indirect policies to depend on the purchase and development of nuclear power reactors.
    one should know that nuclear physics in nuclear reaction is as simple even a school kid could develop a reactor if explained properly. there is no mystery in it. however, the danger through human and natural interventions are inevitable to nuclear technology. just heating up water to generate electricity using this unpredictable and unreliable technology is just primitive and in the field of nuclear power production, no advance has been happened since its discovery by man.

    nuclear fuel is scarce, and to produce it we spend huge amount of money, we destroy environment and livelihood of people. it appears to be cheaper because the whole process of nuclear fuel production and distribution is hugely subsidized by tax-payer money!

    you get jobs, money, bonus and make career in koodankulam by sacrificing your own health (get a bonus now and get a worse cancer later in your life). you ignore your future generations (OWN KIDS), you ignore your fellow citizens, you ignore your surroundings that gives you air, water, food and shelter!
    one should be too selfish to be so blind to ignore all these elements in the name of development!

    in india there exist thousands of nuclear victims(plant workers, villagers around the plants, fishermen, mine workers….list continues) most of them are ignored and belong to the bottom of our economic class.

    i am ready to pay a quarter thousand rupees to anyone who can produce evidence that our reactors are safe, and there had been no accidents and incidents in the past!

  19. mediaspider says:

    i am saying all this because i have been to a nuclear reactor in europe, along with experts.i have photos and videos as evidence!
    common indian experts, lets have a discussion!
    my close associate did the first documentary on Chernobyl affected town of pripyat. my good friend documented atomic weapon production in the USA for the US government and one of the first to report from the three mile island accident!

    which expert and and Indian nuclear scientist want to have reasons?

  20. George Stephenson says:

    Justification for why you need kundankulam VVER Reactors

    1. Sosnovy Bor in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, some 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the west of the city centre of Saint Petersburg has 4 more powerful VVER-1200/491 type reactors in Russia to replace RMBK-1000 type reactors

    2. RBMK type reactors are involved in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster

    3. Chernobyle Disaster is due to an experiment went wrong and not because of a normal operations of a reactor

    4. Please visit the bellow page to view the number of countries use VVER grade reactors in the world which is also installed in Kundankulam

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VVER

    The country list includes
    Finland
    Hungary
    China
    Russia
    and many more

    5. Do you think you can sell a filthy product to countries like Finland

    6. Nuclear Science is is not at its infancy, countries like India must promote the technology to keep the economy stable

    7. We are just using fission reactors but in future we will invent fusion reactors and later maybe antimatter reactors which can power the entire globe

    8. Highly fissile Plutonium is even used in heart pace makers

    9. Petroleum companies really want to kill nuclear technology because today’s nuclear reactors has the power to shutdown world petroleum industry

    10. If you are so scared you can ask the government to give a different place to live

    11. Dont be selfish if you are very scared please find another place to live do this for your country

    12. Sacrifice is not just meant for military personal but also for civilians like us

    13. People please think do something for your country

    14. Do you know why British gave Independence at night because they thought India will go into darkness after Independence dont make that true

    15. Electrical energy can be used to produce liquid Hydrogen with the help of fuel cells that can run trucks, cars and bikes and anything that needs pertroleum product to run, because when hydrogen enters fuel cell it produces power and water

    16. Say yes to nuclear reactors to make the world green

    you can reach me @
    g.george.stephenson@gmail.com

    • Sowndar says:

      Instead of spending huge money on nuclear we can spend on renewable energy sources.
      1. Solar energy
      Why can’t we encourage the solar energy for each individual house with subsidy? Most of our house roofs are unused. Also which avoid heating up the house. hence reduce the usage of fan, A/C etc.

      2. Wind energy.
      Why can’t we install wind mill on the sea? (may be 10 km’s inside the sea)
      Off course, it needs more investment and it can be done only by the government. But you will get wind all 365 days.

      Politicians won’t support any of those, because they won’t understand & and they won’t accept because they are not getting penny out of it.

  21. […] and Tamil Nadu. Flagging the consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear power plant disaster, activists are up in arms against what they see as a selloff of the safety concerns of the citizens and […]

  22. Amarnath says:

    While some of the above mentioned points like waste disposal are definitely a concern, points like power plants are under terrorist threat and hence should be stopped are rubbish. Just because terrorists want to harm something does not mean we should stop doing it. And while some countries are reducing nuclear power, the majority still use it. According to Wikipedia there was a shortfall of about 4000 MW in Tamil Nadu, Kudankulam will surely serve to decrease this deficit. Your last point again serves no purpose – you are forgetting that there have been protests in favor of setting up plants.

  23. sunil choudhury says:

    for all your intelligent(not really) thirteen points against the plant, you did not bother to give any reference, citations or sources of information, do you think we are stupids to accept your so called scientific reasons as facts?