Coming in the wake of Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, protests have crippled progress at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district.
Both the Centre and the state governments have set up expert committees but the same have not been able to convince protesters in favour of the Rs 13,160 crore project. Locals and activists are demanding scrapping of the project citing safety and environment concerns.
Even a safety review by former president and top nuclear scientist APJ Abdul Kalam failed to convince the agitators. According to Kalam, the comparison of the first generation Fukushima plant with the third generation Koodankulam plant was wrong.
The way forward was summed up very beautifully by him: “We are all caught too much with the disease of fear and danger. History is not made by cowards. Sheer crowd cannot bring about changes. Only those who think everything is possible can create history and bring about changes.”