Fishermen from the coastal hamlets around Koodankulam staged a road blockade at Koodankulam main road — File photo (Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle)

The problems of Koodankulam would not have come & the present crises would not have become serious if the Govt was sensitive to the fears of the local people at the beginning when the land acquisition was made. .People living in faraway places like Chennai, Bombay , Delhi or Calcutta may not feel its impact. But people living with in 30 km radius have the real fear. The atomic energy commission made a blunder in site selection. They have grossly violated their own rules. They said that with in 10 km radius, there should not be any town with more than 10,000 population. But there are 6 towns including Chettikulam and Koodankulam with more than 10,000 population . Further Atomic energy Regulatory Board says that there should not be any town with more than 1 lakh population with in 30 km radius. But Nagercoil with 2.5 lakh population is within 28 km from the Koodankulam. Can they deny it?

The officials of Atomic Energy Commission tell that the Koodankulam reactor is 7 meters above the sea level so that no harm will happen to the Reactor due to the Tsumani waves. Can any one prescribe the height of Tsunami wave? The scientists like Dr.M.R.Srinivasan former Chairman AERB and Dr.M.E.Mathunayagam former Director of ISRO have certified that the height of future Tsunami will not be more than 7 m whereas the Tsunami wave of more than 25 meters have occurred along the Kanyakumari coast in 2004.

Iinthakarai village is within 5 km from the reactor. It is in sterilized area. No new houses can be built here and the population growth is restricted similarly 1.5 km radius is the restricted area. No one is permitted without valid permission. The fishermen are not allowed to fish within 1 km area. No one can deny this.

Another misinformation is about the cost of electricity Dr.M.R.Srinivasan, former Chairman and the current member of Atomic Energy Commission says (New India Express, Madurai, 5th October 2011) that the electricity from Koodankulam will be well below Rs.3/ kwh. He goes on to say that the cost of electricity for one Kw/h is Rs.20 for solar energy, Rs.10 for the wind energy, but is Rs.1 for nuclear energy from Tarapur. This should be verified. What is the expense of keeping decommissioned nuclear reactor for about 3000 years when the radio activity of the reactor will become at least half. Who will bear all these. If we take all them into consideration what is the cost of electricity per unit produced by the nuclear reactors. Can this have adverse impact on people. ? Is it with the Govt subsidy or not? Has he included the cost of decommissioning charges which may run into at least Rs 2.5. billions. England has spent 3 Billion dollar (30 million U.S dollar) for decommissioning Magnox Reactor in England which is much smaller them Koodankulam reactor. To cool the decommissioned reactor one has to spend huge amount of Electricity for nearly 150 years. What about the expense for waste disposal and safety of it for thousands of years. What are the expense for dismantling and disposal of decommissioned reactor. Has all these been included in the calculation of cost of cheap, electricity. In these days of information technology we cannot keep these facts from the common man.

What is the impact of the Nuclear Reactors on our future generation. what is the impact of the radiation on the generation to come. Already due to high radiation coastal population suffer due to cancer. A marginal increase in radiations in the ground water and the earth will have serious results . Is it a wise decision to install a Nuclear reactor in a places where the back ground radiations is five times more (230 m rem) the other places. After 40 years (life time of a reactor) the present reactors will have to be discared and another 6 reactors have to be built Where will the evicted peopleions they go for space.

The people around the reactor is not willing to live in the vicinity of the reactor, A how ever much we argue with them. One activist rightly pointed their fear by saying can any one sleep peacefully in a room with venomous viper snake kept covered inside a pot in the same room. The democractic Govt should head to the wishes of the people. The post Fukoshima declaration also say

The problem of Koodankulam is the problem of Govt’s own making. They should take the responsibility.

The Fukushima nuclear accident has shaken the entire nuclear world especially the countries where the reactors are built near the shore. Strangely the Govt has given exception for nuclear installations in CRZ-I areas. It is a known fact that people avoid eating fish from Caspian sea as the fishes are contaminated by the radio active waste from the Nuclear reactors located on the banks of the sea. Do we allow this to happen for fishes from Gulf of Mannar . The long term impact of the nuclear reactors is not eco friendly and it can cause irreparable damage to the Mother Earth. It is better if we can avoid the nuclear technology for our electricity needs.

Thank You
Dr R.S.Lal Mohan PhD
8.10.2011
Nagercoil

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