TIRUNALVELI: Aug 19 (PTI) Fishermen of several coastal hamlets today came out strongly against the nuclear power plant being set up in Koodankulam in the district under Indo-Russian collaboration, saying it posed a danger to their lives and livelihood.Speaking at a 'fishermen grievances day' meet convened by the District Collector in the wake of protests by fisherfolk in the villages surrounding Koodankulam since last week, they said though they had been opposing the plant from beginning their fears had compounded after the Fukushima nuclear power station disaster in Japan following an earthquake in March.The fishermen's latest protests come as the work on commissioning of the first of the two 1000 MW reactors at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) has entered the final stages.KKNPP officials on August 6 had announced the hot run of the first reactor (testing with dummy fuel) has reached the final stage and commercial power production would begin in December.At the meeting today, the residents of Idinthakorai, Kooduthazhi, Koottapanai, Uvari, Koothankuzhi and Koodankulam were united in registering their opposition to the power plant."Our livelihood and life were in danger. So we don't want the nuclear power project," one of the fishermen told the meeting presided over by District Collector Dr R Selvaraj, who heard their grievances but did not offer any response.The fishermen threatened to intensify their agitation if the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, which is building the plant, did not announce stoppage of the work by September 7.They also raised several other issues including the state government's deep sea fishing policy and 'inadequacies' in the Coastal Regulation Zone Act.
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