It's a people vs power debate in Tamil Nadu's Koodankulam district.
Despite assurances of safety from a senior Russian official, protests by villagers continue against the proposed plant.
"What is happening in Tamil Nadu is unfortunate. It looks like that the protests will shadow the commissioning of the plant which is going to happen in December," Senior Counsellor Sergey V. Karmalito in the Russian Embassy
Protests have intensified against the project since the announcement late last month that the first of the two 1x1000 MWe reactors ((being prepped to solve Tamil Nadu's power woes) set up at the coastal village of Koodankulam would be commissioned in December, resulting in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa writing to the Prime Minister seeking a halt on its opening.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's messenger, Minister of State in the PMO V. Narayanasamy, then arrived at Koodankulam today to hold talks with the locals who are agitating for the past 10 days.
He was, however, heckled by the crowd, according to reports. Narayanasamy attempted to assure protesters that 'safety would come first' and that the Prime Minister would 'decide on the project's future'.
Medha Patkar intervenes
Pledging her support to the ongoing agitation against the nuclear project, social activist Medha Patkar said the protesting villagers have decided to continue their 10-day old fast till the state cabinet passed a resolution for stopping work on the project.
"The villagers (living in and around the project site) demand that the state cabinet pass a resolution for stopping the ongoing work and ensure the safety of the people and the natural resources. We completely support them," she told a press conference here.
Patkar, speaking on her return from a visit to the protest venue in Tirunelveli District, said the central government should show the same urgency on the Koodankulam issue as it attached to the Jan Lokpal Bill.
"When West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could stop Haripur nuclear power plant, why not the Koodankulam plant (be halted)? Tamil Nadu government should also follow a similar approach", she said.
Hitting out at CM Jayalalithaa for sending two AIADMK leaders to express solidarity with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during his three-day fast, Patkar said she had not bothered to depute even a single emissary to talk to the protesters.
Patkar, who is also the Convenor of National Alliance of People's Movement, said an Inquiry Commission would be formed with eminent scientists to go into the impact of nuclear policy and power plants vis-a-vis the rights of people to know about the safety of such projects.
'One of the world's most modern reactors
Asserting that all safety norms were put in place, Russian envoy Karmalito maintained that, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, all 'new requests' by India about the safety of the plant have been taken into consideration.
"Last month we conducted the trial runs, which was very important step as we checked all safety measures apart from whatever was envisaged of the plant in terms of features and productivity," he said.
It is not correct to compare the Fukushima plant with Koodankulam as the reactor in Japan was constructed decades ago and the one in Tamil Nadu is "one of the most powerful and modern reactors" in the world, he said.
'That's what all governments say'
A protester at the venue slammed the assurance.
"That's what Japan said. That's what France said (referring to the recent nuclear explosion in the south of the country). We need to start relying on safer, non-renewable energy, and that is what we are asking for," said the protester.