Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant: Supreme Court rejects plea to appoint panel

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday shrugged off the last objections from activists and people that the Central and Tamil Nadu governments had failed to carry out court-mandated safety measures to clear the commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear power project.

G Sunderajan, social activist turned Aam Admi Party contestant in the Lok Sabha polls, had accused the centre of failing on this front and sought court intervention to prevent the first phase off the power project from being made operational. Sunderajan was represented by Prashant Bhushan.

Both Tamil Nadu and the Centre in their compliance reports claimed that all safety norms had been adhered to and no compromise had been made on this front either on design or spent fuel storage facility.

The project in Nakkanery village of Tirunelveli District had run into local opposition, but the court had earlier rejected their pleas for commissioning of the project, instead suggesting several additional safety measures to be carried out.

After that Sunderajan alleged that they were not carried out, but the project was being made operational. Bhushan argued that a team headed by a former Chairman of the AERB be constituted to examine as to whether these directions are being properly implemented or not, but the court rejected his demand.

“We find it unnecessary to appoint any committee at this stage since the status report and the affidavits indicate that the respondents are taking necessary steps so as to give effect to various directions, even though some of the directions are yet to be fulfilled, which naturally would take some more time,” Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Vikramajit Sen, said.