Villagers protest Mithi Virdi nuclear project(Slide-show)
Villagers protest Mithi Virdi nuclear project, police called
Photos by Mukesh Pandit
Bhavnagar, DeshGujarat, 11 June, 2010
Villagers of Jasapara and about five nearby villages in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district today prevented surveyors to carry out survey of the land for proposed Mithi Virdi nuclear power project here . Survey team’s truck, containing a generator set and two iron pipes was gheraoed by protesting villagers. Police was called on to control the locals. The issue was settled soon, but just temporarily. The surveyor team had to go back in view of the local protest. Jasapara’s lady Sarpanch said, “we would give our life, but not allow nuclear plant here.”
Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) which is planning to set up a 6,000 Mw nuclear power project in the area, but facing protests from farmers who are refusing to make way for the Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) project, the first major initiative after the civilian nuclear agreement between India and the US.
About 30 odd villages have collectively signed a petition and informed the authorities about their stand.
About 1,000 hectare of land has been surveyed by government officials in the recent past. Though the name given to the project is Mithi Virdi Atomic Power Project, the area identified is about two km away from Mithi Virdi and is called Jasapara.
Anti-nuclear activists led by local Arun Dave, Damayantiben Modi of Lok Bharati Sanstha have formed a group called the Atomic Energy Study Group and have been distributing pamphlets and showing films about the accidents of nuclear plants in places like Chernobyl.
Local villagers have mainly three problems with the proposed plant project:(1) how destructive the plant can be in case of any leakage, (2) they do not know what will happen to the waste generated from here, (3) they don’t want to lose their land, which is their only source of livelihood.
Read: Nuclear bill is a recipe for many Bhopals
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Nuclear Power is always a centre of Controvercy everywhere in the world. It is a really difficult subject to give an opinion on.
It can be really dangerous like in Chernobyl if not handled carefully. But there are countries which have done it successfully and prospered from Nuclear Power like France where 70% of total power is generated from Nuclear.
In India, It is really difficult to achieve those kind of safety standards. We have recent example of Delhi Nuclear leak. That was a small laboratory. Imagine if that was a Power station ….
I wonder why government wants a Nuclear power station near seashore. That can be a big vulnerability in case of a war. It should be at farest distance from the sea.
it is central government..Cogress doing american project
Carelessness and human errors can do anything from Chernobyl to common car accidents. We don’t give up driving or flying thereby banning cars and planes!!. A well designed and well disciplined operators are safe for any Nuclear Plants.
Gujarat can use 25,000 MW at the least. Bring more Nukes to Gujarat!!!
We are good without this project. More power, more consumption, more pollution even it is Nuclear. There is no liability here with the US firm if another “Bhopal” massacre happens here.
SAY NO THIS Nuclear Project from US.
Perhaps these villagers should stop taking any electricity. When they should in fact be supporting the protest against the sell out of the Nuclear civil liability bill by the goondaaraj Kangress to their masters for downgrading and selling cheap the value of our lives in the world, these villagers are misguided and protesting the plant itself. Who will inform these people that even cars can lead to accident, that does not mean you ban the cars on the road.
What we need is to force the adequate safety measures in future power plants by making the companies accountable. Because of the goondaaraaj Kangress, the Union Carbide got away with the biggest industrial crime. And in the recent Nuclear civil liability bill, too they are hell-bent on doing the same mischief.
Why can’t people protest against this gross goondaagiri by the Chamchaa party that is every day trying to make our lives vulnerable for sake of their chamchaagiri?
Protest against the lower accountability value put for the Nuclear civil liability bill, don’t protest the infrastructural projects, which is the ONLY way to pass on the benefits to every common citizen.
जय श्री राम!
Please shift it to near deserts of Rajasthan
ISS – New safety issues documented with nuclear reactors planned …
22 Apr 2010 … His concerns about the reactor’s design are supported by Rudolf Hausler, … operating nuclear power plants in the U.S. and elsewhere. …
http://www.southernstudies.org/…/new-safety-issues-documented-with-nuclear-reactors-planned-for-southeast.html -
Land of these villages are very fertile and produce good quality Groundnut, cotton, Onion, Wheat, bajara and 20% of area covered by Mango and Chikoo tree plantation. Why we want to utilise such fertile land for industry. by doing this,Of course we get cheap power for people, but doing industrial development such way by utilising fertile land, what we will feed to our next generation ?. right now we are major importer of petroleum. After few years we are going to be major importer of basic food items. so our industrial development should be in such a way that we acn not waste any fertile land. Industry can locate anywhere but fertile land cannot.
Please relook in the matter and save the fertile land for farming and not for industry.
“whatever you want to do,do fast”
Spread this massage to each and every Indian. They must know the effect of nuclear radiation even if no accident occurs. Radiation contaminates always around uranium mine, nuclear plant, and nuclear waste. 30-35 km radius area gets contaminated regularly. These nuclear plants come at Haryana, Gujarat, MP, AP, TN, WB and Maharashtra due to the indo-USA nuclear deal. These will generate only 10% electricity & impact of radiation will cover 95% area of India. So why risk Indian lives for just 10% of electricity?
situation of earthquake in JAPAN cant control own nuclear plant also JAPAN is country of technology, than in this condition Indian government can what ? fukushima
Fukushima I nuclear accidents
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_I_nuclear_accidents