Villagers fast against Koodankulam project

THIRUNELVELI: Over 4,000 people today observed a fast to intensify their protest against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project in the district.The villagers observed the fast at a village, which is 5 km from the site. Anti-nuclear plant activists also planned to organise fast at Koodankulam tomorrow, an activist said.The protests come against the backdrop of work on commissioning of the first of the two 1,000 MW reactors entering the final stages.The project envisages building of two 1,000 MW VVER type Russian reactors by the Nuclear Power Corporation.KKNPP officials had last month announced that the hot run of the first reactor (testing with dummy fuel) had reached the final stage and commercial power production would begin in December.Protests against the project was stepped up on August 15 when a meeting of the local village sabha at Idinthakarai resolved that the plant should not be commissioned even if it had been completed.Some people also observed fast at the Idinthakarai village yesterday demanding release of five persons as they were spearheading the movement against the project.Police claimed that the arrested persons were instigating people against the project.The Additional DGP and revenue divisional officer held talks with locals on the issue. One person was released but as the other four had been remanded to judicial custody, they can be released only tomorrow, police said.Last month, fishermen of several coastal villages in the district had also come out strongly against the nuclear power plant, saying it posed a danger to their lives and livelihood.