Kudankulam plant row: SC asks Centre, AERB to respond to plea

The Supreme Court today sought replies from the Centre and nuclear regulator AERB on a plea against commissioning of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu on the ground that its directions on ensuring safety in and around the plant have not been complied with.

A bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra issued notices to the Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, Tamil Nadu government and its pollution control board.

The court posted the matter for hearing in January on the plea of G Sundarrajan who had moved the apex court against the commissioning of the plant.

While giving a green signal to the nuclear power project, the apex court had said, "Apprehension, however, legitimate it may be, cannot override the justification of the project....".

It, however, had passed a slew of directions relating to environment protection, disaster management, safety of the people, and quality of systems and components in the plant and had said that they be complied with before its commissioning.

Alleging violations, the fresh plea has been filed against the Madras High Court order which did not entertain the petition and asked Sundarrajan to move the apex court.

"AERB, on 4th July 2013, had given a clearance for commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project without satisfying itself that all the directions have been complied with," the petition said.

Seeking "ex-parte" injunction against commissioning of the plant, it said, "The nuclear project is surrounded by about 100 villages with a population of about 10 lakhs, which totally depends on fishing for their livelihood," and their lives would be at stake because of the project.

"On July 4, even without verifying on the basis of materials to be made available to AERB by other authorities whether the directions issued by this court were fully implemented, AERB hurriedly granted clearance for FAC, a major stage in the commissioning of KKNPP," it said.