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KOODANKULAM |
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Ghosts of Fukushima reign supreme in Koodankulam
Protesters view Jaya as 'opportunistic' after she chooses political expediency over defending them
Sai Manish
New Delhi
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The nuke plant at Koodankulam
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The protests over the nuclear power plant in Koodankulam have been mopped up without hesitation by the Tamil Nadu government even as some protesters including the head of People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), P Udayakumar, holding out with their fast unto death. There have been fears among the coastal communities and residents living near the plant that their worries have been completely bypassed in clearing the project. For the protesters, the last nail in the coffin came after Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa gave her nod for carrying on the work in the proposed 2000 MW power plant. Jayalalitaa’s assent meant not just activists being held and charged for sedition and waging war against the state, but also the imposition of Section 144, which prevents peaceful assembly. Reports coming out of Koodankulam suggest that the situation that has been tense since morning is now showing signs of abating with little option before the protesters except that of a surrender. Failing to do so would prompt the police to move in and make arrests. In doing so, the CM has dealt a blow to the four-month long protest that has been targeted not just by Jayalalithaa but by the PMO as well. Even as the PMO alleges that these protests against the Russian project are orchestrated, activists have slammed this attitude as being too overbearing for a democracy.
Jaya’s volte face on the issue has led to considerable heartburn among activists who were banking on her support to tackle the onslaught of the PMO that had claimed a foreign hand behind the protests. Udayakumar has, in fact, blamed Jayalalithaa for “betraying the people” in their movement against the nuke plant. But before the CM’s iron-handed move to clear the surrounding villages from protesters, there had been a concerted attempt to counter the arguments against the plant. This was done not just by the Centre through its 15 member expert group but also by the expert group appointed by the Jayalalithaa government—both invariably had the same conclusions of being in favour of the plant being erected at the site. But amidst the scientific facts that have been advocated by both the Centre and state groups is that it is pertinent to understand the fears of the local communities.
The fact that despite the clamping of Section 144 in Koodankulam, fishermen from surrounding villages are still landing on the beaches to enter the village only to be detained by police stationed there on their patrol boats. What is driving these fisherman to skip their fishing routines and pour into the protest site is that they believe their means of sustenance will be wiped off by the nuke power plant. The fisherfolk of surrounding villages believe that their catch, which is directly proportional to the marine life in the vicinity of the plant will be adversely impacted—not only will fish be sucked into the huge tubes that feed the desalination plant, but the rising temperatures due to heated water discharge will also kill fishes, lobsters and crabs. This fear was sought to be allayed by the expert group, which suggested that the plant will host fish protection systems “where in all the fish which are coming into the intake will be separated by means of a unique air curtain and Oogee weirs”. That, however, failed to placate the fishermen who are already facing the brunt of illegal fishing from foreign trawlers that scavenge the sea bed for precious catch. Adding to that were fears of temperature rise, which would disturb the marine ecology and force fish to migrate further away from the coast.
The project was also slammed by local residents of CASA Nagar who believed that they were being made sitting ducks in the radiation trap. Most of these people are survivors of the 2004 tsunami, which explains their heightened fears of a nuclear project coming up on the coast whose fury they now dread. Fukushima in 2011 gave them a glimpse of what was heading their way if the nuke plant came up. And sustained campaign from activists further heightened those apprehensions with the entire protest becoming a question of the survival of their future generations. The expert committee tried to assuage these fears too but to no avail. “In the case of Koodankulam, the nearest off shore fault line (Andaman‐Nicobar‐Sumatra fault) capable of generating a tsunami, is located about 1500 km from the plant. Thus, unlike in the case of Fukushima, there is no possibility of a tsunami and an earthquake occurring together at Koodankulam. All important structures and components including emergency power supply equipment at Koodankulam are located well above this elevation. Thus, unlike in Fukushima, where the emergency power supply equipment failed due to flooding from tsunami, even the strongest tsunami cannot disrupt the emergency power supply at the nuclear power plant and cooling of the reactors can be maintained without interruption.”
However, with villagers pouring in despite the arm of the law coming down heavily on them one thing becomes clear that these communities, who survive from what the sea provides, are not willing to take a chance with a form of power whose destructive powers was seen not so long ago in Fukushima. The ghosts of Fukushima, it seems, cannot be so easily buried in Koodankulam.
Sai Manish is a Correspondent with Tehelka.
sai.manish@tehelka.com |
