*Protest against Koodankulam N-plant * *Date:03/10/2009* *URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100358700300.htm* Special Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram: Fish workers and anti-nuclear activists took out a protest demonstration in the city on Friday as part of a nation-wide agitation against the Koodankulam nuclear plant under construction in Tamil Nadu. The protest was organised by the National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM). The protesters said that the nuclear plant would lead to pollution in the near shore areas, affecting fish stocks. They alleged that this would impact on the health of fish-eating people in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Surendranath, a prominent anti-nuclear activist, inaugurated a dharna in front of the Secretariat. He said the nuclear energy plant at Koodankulam would trigger cancer and genetic disorders in the area. He proposed a State-wide awareness programme to highlight the dangers of nuclear energy and the proposed Indo-U.S. nuclear deal. Addressing the dharna, T. Peter, president of the Kerala Swatantra Malsyathozhilali Federation, said the discharge of sea water after cooling the nuclear reactor would affect fish stocks and impact on the livelihood of fish workers. “The traditional fishing community has always lived and worked with deep respect for the marine ecology and environment. We can never accept a destructive technology like nuclear power,” he said. He appealed to fish consumers in Kerala to join the protest. A.S.K. Nair, scientist, said the scientific community was yet to come up with a safe nuclear waste management system. Citing the nuclear accidents at Chernobyl in the erstwhile Soviet Union and Three Mile Island in the United States, he warned that a similar accident would threaten the lives of the people in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and Kerala for generations. A pressnote issued here said a protest rally was taken in Delhi also. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
