New Delhi (dpa) – Over 100 protesters have been arrested for defying orders prohibiting gathering outside a nuclear power plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, news reports said Tuesday. Safety concerns have prompted local villagers and fishermen to stage protests over the last year against the Kudankulam power plant, being built with Russian assistance. Their agitation gained momentum after the Japanese nuclear plant at Fukushima began leaking radiation after it was hit by an earthquake and tsunami last year. Kudankulam is located on the Tamil Nadu coast. The protesters blocked entry of scientists and workers at the plant for more than seven months, delaying the commissioning of two 1,000-megawatt reactors, which had been scheduled to start functioning by December 2011. Police arrested the protest leaders, among others, the NDTV news channel reported. A 3,000-strong force of policemen had been deployed around the plant and a group of 300 scientists, engineers and other workers to escort them inside. The police action came after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalaitha, who had earlier expressed reservations, on Monday said a panel she had created had, after reviewing safety aspects, given clearance for the project. The plant is billed to become India's largest after all six of its planned reactors are completed. India's federal Department of Atomic Energy has said the plant meets all international safety guidelines. India, which depends heavily on oil imports to meet its growing energy needs, has launched an ambitious nuclear power program, with several reactors slated to be built over the next decade. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/a9eKt Tags: India, Nuclear, Police, Protest, Tamil Nadu Section: Latest News, South Asia
