Panneerselvam urges DMK govt. to oppose ‘away from reactor’ facility in Kudankulam
The Hindu
Nuclear waste from other States might be stored there, says AIADMK leader
Raising apprehensions over the proposed Away from Reactor (AFR) nuclear spent-fuel storage facility for the units of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli district, AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take steps to stop the project.
“If such a facility is set up, nuclear waste from other States might be stored here [Kudankulam] later on. This is quite dangerous. The Tamil Nadu government has the duty and responsibility to oppose the proposal in the initial stages,” he said in a statement.
Pointing out the silence observed by the Tamil Nadu government in this regard, Mr. Panneerselvam said: “Though nuclear power plants are dangerous, they are located in Tamil Nadu, and other States benefit from them. In this situation, it would be appropriate to set up AFR facility outside Tamil Nadu.”
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.