Operations at nuclear plant should be suspended: Parties

In a statement, MDMK leader Vaiko said that in every nuclear reactor at Koodankulam there was a "spent fuel pool" posing threat. There was no mechanism in place to treat nuclear waste. Further, the activists and ecologists have filed a petition in the Madras High Court and Supreme Court seeking safety parameters in place," he said.

Depending on the accumulation of spent fuel, demand for additional storage also grows and there is no AFR facility (Away From Reactor) to store the waste. Until the AFR is built by those managing the nuclear plant, the operations should be suspended, Vaiko urged.

PMK founder S Ramadoss also urged the state and the centre to intervene in the issue, stating that any damage to the plant or leakage of radiation would pose a threat to the local public. The Koodankulam plant authorities had submitted before the Supreme Court that there was no advanced mechanism in place to treat the waste under these circumstances, he noted.

AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran also blamed the state government for remaining silent on the issue. The AIADMK which has elected representatives in the Rajya Sabha should take steps to stop the production at Koodankulam so that the safety parameters are addressed. "The Central and the State governments treat Tamils like lab rats by promoting high-risk nuclear reactors and this should come to an end bringing relief to the residents of Tirunelveli," Dhinakaran said in his statement.