Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha’s Trojan strategy would have seen the melt down of resistance against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant; but consider these facts:
Japan shut down its last reactor today (May 5, 2012). Host communities and provincial governors have a say in whether they should have nuclear plants. 17 of Japan’s 54 commercial reactors had been damaged in the earthquake and tsunami last year. The leakage at the Fukushima reactors displaced roughly 100,000 people.
If a similar accident happens in Kudankulam, around 50 lakh people in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thiruvananthapuram district would be displaced. The Nuclear Liability Bill would not even provide for their transportation costs.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is demanding all the power from Kudankulam for her State. If the Centre allows that, Kerala would be taking a risk without getting any power. The situation will be similar to that at Mullaperiyar. It is high time that Kerala’s political leadership got sensitised about another Mullaperiyar in the making.
For further reading:
Washington post report
Nuclear Liability Bill will get you Rs. 1000