Archbishop justifi es Koodankulam agitation

T H I R U VA N AT H - APURAM: Archbishop M Soosai Packiam of Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese (Latin Hierarchy) on Friday justifi ed the agitation against Koodankulam nuclear power plant. In his Good Friday message, he said nuclear power project could pose a danger to the lives and livelihood of the people. He expressed concern over radioactive accumulation at the plant which could become the principal causes of environmental and health hazards. Pointing out that there has been a re-think on nuclear plants even by advanced countries like Germany following the Fukushima nuclear disaster after the tsunami that hit Japan some time back, he said, it was a matter of concern that a nuclear power plant ‘was coming up in our neighbourhood.’ Reminding the whole world was having a re-look at nuclear energy, he urged the authorities to protect citizens’ right to life and improve environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life. ‘The leaders of political parties must come and help protect our land, water, air, sea, seafood and most importantly, our next generation,’ he said. The 1,000 MW power plant was built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) with Russian help near Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.