Indian activists protest against French nuclear plant
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Feb 15, IRNA -- President Francois Hollande's visit to India Thursday saw a protest against French-assisted Jaitapur nuclear power plant by activists who alleged that proper safety measures had not been adopted in the project to prevent a Fukushima like disaster.
French President Hollande is on a two-day state visit to the country.
Activists and students from All India Progressive Womens Association (AIPWA) and All India Student's Association (AISA) protested here against setting up of the nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra with the help of French firm Areva.
"The nuclear power plant is being built on the land that was earlier used to cultivate alphonso mangoes. The construction would take away the livelihood of the farmers in the area and would be an environmental hazard also. We don't want another Fukushima like disaster" said Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the AIPWA, pti reported. French President should also take a look at the deal the Indian government was signing with the French company without ensuring the safety of the reactor, which is a new technology and not used anywhere in the world, she claimed.
The government must clarify on what safety measures have been adopted to prevent a disaster, since the European Pressurised Reactor is 'untested' technology," said activist Harsh Kapoor of South Asian Citizens Web.
The activists also protested against alleged efforts to "shield" Pascal Mazurier, a French diplomat accused of raping his three-year-old daughter in Bangalore, under French pressure.
"We want to know why the French Government is trying to back the French diplomat who is accused of raping his daughter," said Krishnan.
The protest comes a day after the Left leaders asked the government not to sign a deal on the supply of the nuclear reactor to the Jaitapur nuclear power plant.
A series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns and release of radioactive materials occurred at the Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 leading to mass evacuation from the area.
It was the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
Meanwhile, Spurning Maharashtra government's offer of enhanced compensation for project-affected persons from Jaitapur and neighbouring villages, the local organisation spearheading the opposition to the proposed 9,900 mw nuclear power plant said it wanted the whole project to be scrapped.
"Our struggle is for cancellation of the nuclear plant project.... We do not want increased monetary package," said Prakash Waghdhare, president of `Madban, Jaitapur, Mithgavane, Panchkroshi Sangharsh Samiti', talking to reporters in Mumbai.
He dubbed the power plant proposed to be set up at Jaitapur, in coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, as "poisonous".
In the face of stiff local opposition, Maharashtra government recently decided to give compensation of Rs 22.5 lakh per hectare to the project-affected people. However, Waghdhare today said the quantum of compensation was not the issue.
"Farmers from Jaitapur and neighbouring villages do not want the money. They don't want the project there. Entire Konkan is opposed to the project," he said.
A rally to protest the project would be organised next month, he said.
Alleging that government was misleading people by offering enhanced package, Satyajit Chavan of `Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti' said a section of the media was publishing reports in favour of the government.
"We never held a press conference demanding increase in financial package," he added. "We want to save Konkan."
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1066903
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