| The Kaiga Atomic Power Station is located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The plant services India's southern grid and provides power to five states (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Pondicherry) [1] In September 2011, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has announced the plant's expansion plan to add two more units (Unit 5 and Unit 6) to its existing four units. After the announcement local villagers were inspired by the protests against the Koodankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu, the protestors claimed that the plant is threatening their lives as well as livelihood. Just before the decision to set up two more units, officials from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) surveyed the region around the Kaiga plant. They identified 43 villages that should be given away for the plant's infrastructure facilities [4] Fed up with the inaction of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India to ensure health facilities and escape routes in case of a nuclear accident within the five-kilometre radius of KGS, people of 44 villages have begun an indefinite strike [3]. Villagers around the Kaiga nuclear plant in Karnataka claimed that the nuclear power plant is a threat to their lives and are protesting against the two new units on Nov 2011 [2] In 2011, inhabitants of 35 villages surrounding the Kaiga plant, alongside activists and elected representatives, gathered at Mallapura Hinduwada to discuss the project. The gathering unanimously resisted the move and sent its opposition to the government [4]. The conflicts and mobilization is still ongoing; to register their strong dissent, affected people of Mithi Virdi, Jaspara, Mandva, Khadarpar and other 50+ villages have organised a massive rally on 23 September 2013 from Mithi Virdi to Bhavnagar (40 Kms), espacially contesting the Government of India's reported move to further dilute the Nuclear Liability Act to seal the nuclear deal with the US government and US corporations. This was allegedly done during PM’s visit to Washington, undermining all democratic and sovereign institutions of India. The Government of India has yet to make its position clear on these media reports and also the opposition seems to share the same policy on the issue as ruling coalition which worries us further. NAPM press release on the matter reports: "To offer a liability playing field to the international nuclear corporations, whose constant decline has been greatly exacerbated by the setback after the Fukushima catastrophe, actually amounts to selling off Indian people’s lives and safety for nuclear profits. We have not forgotten the criminal record of ‘Union Carbide’s now Dow Chemical’ in the Bhopal gas tragedy and the shameless episode of Indian politicians letting the culprits goes Scott-free: both physically and in terms of adequate liability for the horrendous disaster." and it adds: "When Japan has been forced to switch off all its reactors and countries like Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy etc have decided to go nuclear free, it is unfortunate that Indian Government is choosing to miss the historic opportunity to go for sustainable, renewable, decentralised and equitable forms of energy and shun nuclear power which contributes less than 3% of its electricity production." (See less) |