Centre must drop plan to set up AFR at KKNPP: DMK

Condemning the BJP-led Centre for planning to set up an Away From Reactor (AFP) facility in KKNPP in violation of the Supreme Court order, DMK president M K Stalin on Saturday said it was sad that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NCPIL) was only keen on delaying the construction of AFR and not interested in fulfilling the conditions laid down by the SC, which had set March 2018 as deadline for the same.

Expressing shock at Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) planning a public consultation at Radhapuram in Tirunelveli on July 10 to elicit people’s views on the AFR, Stalin, in a statement, said the announcement was an insult to the SC verdict.

Accusing the ruling AIADMK of being slack on the issue, the DMK president, who is also the Leader of Opposition, said the proposal by both the Central and State governments to develop facilities for the AFR in KKNPP makes people suspect if they were doing it to make the people of Tamil Nadu guinea pigs.

Both locals and environmental group Poovulagin Nanbargal who have moved the SC against the KKNPP are justified in demanding that the State should not permit AFR at Kudankulam, Stalin said. “They should stop power production in the two operational reactors and construction of four new reactors till that time the Centre comes up with a permanent plan to store the spent fuel,” he said.

He also assured that his party MPs and MLAs would participate in the public consultation and voice the fears and environmental concerns orally and in writing. Stating that the Central and State governments have the responsibility to ensure that the conditions laid down by the Supreme Court were complied with, Stalin said the BJP and AIADMK regimes should drop the idea of constructing AFR in KKNPP keeping in mind the SC-laid conditions and safety of the people.