Stop Repression in Koodankulam, Put a Moratorium on the Reactor: Aruna Roy by DiaNuke.org

Press release issued in the press conference in new Delhi today which was addressed by Aruna Roy, Praful Bidwai and Soumya Dutta

We are dismayed by the violent and repressive actions taken by the Tamil Nadu police against local residents who are protesting the Kudankulam nuclear plant.

Police action has claimed the life of one person, and led to the hospitalization of several others. Even from afar, we are shocked at the pictures coming from the area, which show police and paramilitary forces literally driving people into the sea. Reliable reports state that, on 10 September, the police invaded the village of Idinthikarai, terrorized its people, and desecrated places of worship.

The concerns of the local population are valid. The recent admission by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Boad in the Madras High court, that it has failed to implement the recommendations of its own review committee, has only served to heighten these apprehensions. The AERB effectively refused—against the recommendation of its own committee—to revise various safety parameters or consider the possiblity of a larger-than-expected Tsunami. The Nuclear Power Corporation has not even made arrangements for a backup mobile Diesel Generator set for essential functions, simply promising to do so in the “long term.” Nor has it constructed adequate backup sources of water to cool the reactor in the event of loss of normal cooling.