The protests took place close on the heels of Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's statement in Mumbai on Friday that that the gov-ernment would implement the Jaitapur project despite hurdles. The nuclear crisis in Japan has provided new support to the people in coastal town of Jaitapur in Maharashtra, where resistance to the Jai-tapur nuclear power project has gained momentum.
The minister's ruling out a "rethink" appears to have given a further fillip to the protests. Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil informed the state assembly that the deceased, who has been identified as Tavrez Sejkar, was killed in police firing at Sakhrinate village when around 600-700 locals protesting against the proposed 9,900 mw project, attacked the local police station.
Protests against the Jaitapur project is expected to intensify. Anti-nuclear activists from across the country propose to undertake a road yatra from Tarapur to Jaitapur along coastal Konkan in Maharashtra from April 23. "We will also demand scrap of all new nuclear power plants and ask the state government to end reign of terror in Jaitapur area," said Vaishali Patil, Convenor of Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti. Read the full report here.
Source: ET Bureau, Economic Times, New Delhi.
