The protest against Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project
June 7, 2010 7 Comments
Abhijit: The public hearing was illegal as the government did not give the copy of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to all the 4 villages getting affected. They gave it to only 1 village. Ofcourse, the whole EIA looks like a “prepared” one ignoring crucial issues like danger of earthquake as madban comes under seismic zone 4(govt says 3 which is also dangerous), radiation effects on people, accident possibility, damage from accident, cost of the power, ….
News Items:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Villagers-in-Ratnagiri-rally-against-nuclear-plant-at-public-hearing/Article1-544622.aspx
http://www.thehindu.com/2010/05/17/stories/2010051757251400.htm
http://www.hindustantimes.com/N-plant-plan-meets-stiff-opposition/Article1-544651.aspx
http://www.onenewspage.in/news/Front+Page/20100516/11064263/Protests-stall-public-hearing-on-Jaitapur-nuclear-project.htm
http://www.in.com/news/current-affairs/protests-stall-public-hearing-on-jaitapur-nuclear-project-13937599-db06c594e0c772ff3a329029cfe082d168c9f8d8-rhp.html
http://www.topix.com/in/mumbai/2010/05/protests-stall-public-hearing-on-jaitapur-nuclear-project
http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2010/05/protests-stall-public-hearing-on.html
Yet we are crazy for power, development, electricity . . . We want development at any cost. We DO NOT want to waste time in thinking critically on the lies served by our government and big corporations. Rather we would work an extra hour at office for that project OR be at a disc enjoying death!
We have become too mechanical to think rationally today. I feel there is no point in raising such issues on this forum. This is a place where all the DEAD SOULS come for intellectual time pass! Your message and efforts would be more valued and appreciated among people who are still illiterate.
Tushar: – Its very shameful that Govt. EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) report states about the Kokan land that- “Its a Rocky land with no Habitation & vegetation. There are no breeding sites. It is also not used for drying of fish. The conversion of this land will not going to Impact flora and founa and human activities”…ha ha ha!!!!!
Its itself very funny that someone is calling Beautiful land of Kokan as Rocky land with no habitation and breeding. Where farmers are taking their crops since centuries.
Talking about the breeding….If the EIA report states its a barren land & there is not breeding site in this region of Kokan….the why our Govt. is giving compensation to 300 farmers for the loss of income from horticulture????
Is it possible that if a Nuclear Plant is established & then it is not gonna effect the flora and fauna in that region even if the Nuclear waste in this Power plant will be dumped in sea which will perish all the habitat and all aquatic animals in the whole coastline region of Kokan due to which all the Fisherman will have to loose their centuries old Occupation and source of Earning(Thats what happened due to Tarapur Nuclear Power Plant), Here question arises where these thousands of fishermen are supposed to go???…and the radiation coming from the Power plant will drastically make its impact on Human Health such as increase in Cancer and the most dangerous disordered children. 😦
So, we should think, Do we really need such Energy which will destroy the whole habitation & Beauty of our Environmentally rich Kokan only for the greed of energy of very few peoples????……
Just think once………….
Critical mass
by MEENA MENON
The sleepy surroundings of Madban and nearby villages in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra were roused to action sometime in October 2005 when the Government of India sanctioned the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP). The project, proposed to be built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) with evolutionary pressurised reactors (EPR) from Areva, France, set off a flurry of writ petitions, requests under the Right to Information Act, and widespread protests which culminated in a rather stormy public hearing at ground zero in Madban.
If the public hearing, organised by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on May 16, is anything to go by, the people of Madban and neighbouring villages are highly incensed at the way things are. Apparently, none of them has accepted the cheque for compensation for land acquired for the project under the Land Acquisition Act. The NPCIL, however, says some people have accepted compensation (see interview).
The proposed project, the largest of its kind in the world when completed, will have six units of 1,650 MWe each. One unit of 1,650 MWe plant operating at full capacity can generate 36-39 million units a day, according to the NPCIL booklet on the project.
READ FULL ARTICLE ON FRONTLINE
LOKAYAT 
This is my immediate opinion based on disaster in japan as of date, march 13, 2011.
Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project should be scrap. State Government infact ruling congress and nationalist congress party and other nuclear agencies in india as well as central government of india has no interest in ordinary poor people and environment. They are simply lying. State government should not act like HITLER at jaitapur.
Goenchea Xetkarancho Ekvott
Delano A pts, Ambaji margao Goa
Goenchea Xetkanracho Ekvott (GXE), an umbrella organization working closely with numerous Goan groups on agriculture and environmental issues, strongly condemns the Government of India and the State Government of Maharashtra for the dictatorial and uncostitutional measures being taken to suppress the legitimate struggle of residents of Jaitapur and neighbouring villages to voice their concerns regarding the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant.
GXE denounces the ongoing police atrocities and regime of terror unleashed by the State to silence the beleagured farmers of Konkan as an attempt to undermine our Constitution. Retired Supreme Court and High Court judges are among thousands of villagers slapped with criminal charges and prohibitory orders in a shameful display of medieval inquisitive repression. Innocent visitors, scientists and mediapersons are being stopped by swarms of armed CRPF and other security forces from accessing the entire region in a blatant attempt to stifle the voices of reason and truth. The almost complete media blackout regarding the ground reality in Jaitapur is a frightening reminder of the infamous Emergency. The State seems to be keen to give a message to all Indians that it is more than willing to treat innocent residents as if they are terrorists, not just in Kashmir, but in any other part of India.
The cause of this standoff between the State with thousands of armed forces and the entire executive and judiciary on one side, and the poor farmers on the other, is the ongoing land acquisition for the 10,000 MW nuclear power plant proposed at the Madban plateau located on the picturesque coast of Konkan. The Government’s unholy secrecy and haste are attempts to hide the ugly truths regarding this project, which include issues fundamental to the safety and survival of millions of Indians living in the densely populated Konkan, Goa and neighbouring regions. There is not a single working reactor of this new technology in the entire World, and even the design is not finalized due to safety concerns. However, Environmental Clearance has been granted by the Indian Government to this project due to “strategic reasons”, without obtaining regulatory approval from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), and side-stepping the basic safety considerations. The design and detailed project specifications are yet to be submitted to the AERB. Yet, contractual agreements have been signed during the French President’s recent visit to India, effectively awarding the French company Areva this 1 lakh crores project.
When proven indeginous nuclear reactors can be built for less than half the price, why is the Government hell bent on buying this untested and incomplete design from the French? It is our grave concern that the Indian Government is blindly attempting to salvage the French economy by gifting its dying nuclear industry this bonanza, but at huge costs to genuine Indian interests. This project is doomed financially as well as technologically, and even if the safety concerns are ignored, the issues related to soveregnity of our nation, economics, radioactive waste and other environmental aspects are significant.
GXE demands that the Indian Government removes all restrictions on freedom of speech, movement and association presently imposed on Jaitapur region and that it takes all measures necessary to restore our sagging confidence in the Indian Democracy immediately. We also demand that all issues regarding the design, life expectancy and decommissioning of the proposed plant, the procurement of fuel and disposal of waste, radioactivity, accident risks and safety, total project costs and comparison with alternative energy sources, purpose of the plant, environmental and social impact and Absolute Liability of the supplier are placed before the Indian Public, whose Fundamental Rights to Information and Life shall otherwise be crushed. We demand that until Public Approval is obtained after going though transparent and proper review procedures in Public Domain, the Land Acquisition process must be stopped and all Agreements and Contracts signed with Areva, or others, must be ignored by the Government.
GXE calls upon all Goans, residents of the Western Ghats and surrounding regions, and all other Indians to rise and defend our country from this blatantly illegal and unconstitutional attempt of the Government to appease Western Countries by feeding their dying industries at the cost of our economy, society, environment, and possibly even our very existence. If the Government fails to listen to the voice of reason, it shall be up to us, the people, to protect our Constitution, our lives, our lands and the future generations.
Why should I respect PM? Why should I respect the government? When it does not consider the welfare of my children? Government is as bad as the british raj. Lets start the chale jav movement once again. Why cannt we have a poll on this issue where only people residing in Konkan vote?
Please let me know, how do I protest. My beloved konkan is going to be ruined. God, please show these politicians the door of hell immediately. They should be charged with mass murders. Remember Bhopal. Remember the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Bhopal.
God, it is all about personal benefits. All the decisions are taken for the benefit of few people. The nature, and the innocent people always pay for the greed of few people. We dont want development at the cost of our children’s health. On top of it, we cann’t even protest. How can police beat the local villagers? Dont villagers have right to decide what is good for them?
What we have in India,a supposed democracy,is a rule of a few powerful people.They get those only those things done,which fetches them more riches and more power.They dont give a damn to what happens to our ecosystem,to the people and to the natural beauty of the country.I highly doubt whether they even feel anything about things like nature and motherland.In a country where human life is spent so cheaply,how will these politicians ever give a thought to things like natural wealth and public health ? These lame politician’s have lost heaven like Kashmir,a part of Himalayan ranges to China and now are bent upon destroying whatsoever li’l charm is still left in places like Konkan.
I’m sure,everyone of those who have visited the sea-shore of Konkan and that dense cover of trees would understand how it hurts when someone is trying to harm what means so much to you.
Tell these people frm the Govt to take a walk on last of those serene pristine beaches and spend an hour in those almighty trees.Tell them to make themselves a favour and feel at least once what Konkan really is.
jaitapur project is having potential harm..
govt. is not looking at the harmful effects of the project. it is just looking at the benefits.
its the stupidity to ignore the harmful impacts of radioactive elements…
But polititians are just interested in getting money…
At least we are not expecting from Environmental minister Jairam Ramesh to give permission for such project…he should know the adverse impacts that people in konkan have to face in future….
WE ALL SHOULD PROTEST THIS DECISION….
EA report by NPC will be an hotch potch affair.The villagers must insist on an independant agencies report.Safety is lax in D A E. I am experiencing this since I am an employee for 35 years in D A E.Please let us wake up.Scientocrats like AKakodkar does not have a stake in the well being of Konkan agri-bretheren.They are interested in a NewDelhi “good boy” pat in the back.There is more polotics than welfare in these decisions