AFR facility at KKNPP poses danger: NGO

In a statement, the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy said it was dangerous to have 6-8 reactors, a reprocessing plant, desalination plants, administrative offices and other facilities in the 13.5 square km area.

Stating that there was very less space between the reactors, PMANE wondered how the AFR could be built in the already crowded campus.

“Even if it was built, it would pose a great danger to the locals, and to the people of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts,” the statement said.

Stating that it strongly opposed the project, the PMANE also objected to expansion of the and exposed the corruption and dangers in the first unit that was closed between November 19, 2018, and May 19, 2019, for six months and shut down again on Tuesday for perennial maintenance.

“We will engage in a massive public information campaign and the struggle against the Koodankulam nuclear power project will continue until we achieve the final victory,” it said.

The statement recalled that the people of Karnataka opposed burial of the waste generated at Koodankulam in their State by staging a three-day protest and successfully prevented the plan.

The PMANE said there was a spent fuel pool in every nuclear reactor at Koodankulam. “It has the capacity to store up to 7 operation years’ spent fuels. The wastes would then be transferred to a safe place which is called the AFR,” it said.

After the Supreme Court in July 2018 ruled in a case filed by an NGO on AFR, PMANE said that the central government and the Department of Atomic Energy were currently preparing to build the AFR.

“A public hearing is scheduled on July 10 at the government school in Radhapuram. The relevant reports and information are said to be available at the District Collector’s office and at the Taluk office. The 'Digital India' mission has miserably failed to post all the information and relevant reports online and make it more accessible to the common people,” it noted.