Tamil Nadu Panchayat seeks to scrap Kudankulam nuclear power project

CHENNAI: The local panchayat adjacent to the Kudankulam nuclear power plant has passed a resolution against the project, making things difficult for the state government caught between the rational to commission the nuclear power plant and protest in south Tamil Nadu against it. The panchayat's decision is considered a setback for the Centre's desire to have the plant commissioned at the earliest.

The development adds to Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's troubles. There is speculation that the chief minister may postpone a proposed break from her hectic schedule, owing to the fresh developments.

The Vijayapathi panchayat, which comprises Idinthakarai, where villagers have been holding protests for the last 105 days, approved a resolution against the plant, giving multiple reasons. Panchayat president Sahaya Betin Egethin, an independent who holds the post for the first time, told ET that the project would be detrimental to fishermen and farmers in the locality, besides posing health hazards.

The panchayat's decision leaves Jayalalithaa caught between industry groups and the anti-nuke protestors. The Chemical Industries Association of Tamil Nadu has called the anti-nuclear agitation unwarranted and counter-productive, and pointed to the shortage of power in the state leading to loss of production in the chemical industry. The association has appealed to the state government to take a strong stand on the issue.