Bharat Rakshak

vikramd wrote:Jaitapur may face high intensity quake, says U.S. seismologist

Jaitapur may face a threat of a high intensity earthquake as it lies close to the latitude on which Latur and Koyna in Maharashtra lie, American seismologist Roger Bilham said at a press conference organised by Greenpeace here on Thursday. Latur and Koyna have faced strong earthquakes earlier.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a ... 796671.ece

Theo_Fidel wrote:
I would recommend, 'Earth Science' by Tarbuck & Lutjens, Get the Ninth edition. It is illustrated even. Not too much math but technical enough for general public. They approach it as a holistic discipline and attack it from all different angles. I have a copy in my library and often pull it out for easy reading.

If you want more detail what you are really looking for is not just Geology but a book on Plate Tectonics. Ask at any book store and they will recommend several to you. My favorite for 'light' reading is 'Dynamic Earth' by Geoffrey Davis.

Russian specialists and engineers working in Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant have expressed dismay over delay in commissioning of the power plant by stating that “some self-appointed leaders have assumed people's rights and are falsely claiming to be talking on behalf of people of India.”

“What is happening at Kudankulam could only be described as provocative politics. Certain self-appointed individuals are leading the protests which are artificial. Those who are opposing the Kudankulam power plant are opposing the technical progress of India,” Yevgeniy N. Dudkin, Head of Russian Specialists Group at Kudankulam Site, said here on Thursday.

He also said he was personally surprised over the silence and lack of action from the government side on an important issue.

A team of Russian experts stationed at Kudankulam was in the city to participate in a function at Gandhi Museum where a 40-page information booklet on the safety aspects of the power plant was released to create public awareness and mobilise support for KKNPP which could not be commissioned as scheduled due to protests from some groups.

The Indian Society for Cultural Cooperation and Friendship (ISCUF) had organised the meeting inviting Russian experts. Talking about the prevailing situation around Kudankulam, Mr. Dudkin felt that though he felt that a few individuals could not represent the whole of India, his team was ready to provide any information sought on safety and technical aspects ensured in the power plant.

“We are not expecting a permanent deadlock on this issue. But, I am surprised at the silence and lack of action by the Government. Probably high level politics is being played out on Kudankulam issue. From the feedback we could gather, I can say that at least 60 per cent of Indian people want this nuclear power plant to be commissioned,” the Russian Group Head said.

When asked about how the Russian Government would have handled the situation if the same protests occurred in Russia, he said that these developments would not have happened in Russia because the Government there could have worked on public opinion right from the start.

“We (in Russia) would have set up a Public Information Centre if a nuclear plant is to be constructed. Our specialists in nuclear energy will travel all around to create awareness. My feeling is that more efforts to garner support for the KKNPP should have been in place in the beginning stage itself,” Mr. Dudkin added.

The Russian team also expressed disappointment at the delay in commissioning the plant which was originally scheduled to have happened in December. “Even assuming that we start the work again on February 1, it will take five months for the Kudankulam plant to be commissioned,” they said.

Alexander Kuasa, a leading expert in the Russian team, and others participated in the book release event.

U. Karunakaran, State president, ISCUF, and S. Radhakrishnan, State general secretary, along with the head of Madurai Aadheenam, Gurugnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya, participated.

The 40-page information booklet written in Tamil by K. Ramaiah was released by N. Krishnamurthy, Academic Director, Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, and the first copy was received by Mr. Dudkin.

A public appeal has been made urging the President of India to take over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and also deploy army there to see that the power plant is commissioned without any more delay.

In a public awareness meeting organised here on Thursday in the presence of Russian scientists stationed at Kudankulam plant, strong voices have emanated that the President must promulgate a special ordinance to take over all nuclear power plants in the country and more particularly the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant where “some vested interests are halting the commissioning of the project.”

The Indian Society for Cultural Cooperation and Friendship (ISCUF) which has organised the meeting had started mobilising public support for the Kudankulam power plant and it had brought together people from various sections for releasing the 40-page informative booklet authored in Tamil by K. Ramaiah, ISCUF Madurai district president, explaining the safety features of the plant.

Leading the pro-Kudankulam voices, the Madurai Aadheenam has made an open appeal for deployment of Army in and around the power plant campus and that the President of India should directly control the Kudankulam plant.

“There are several nuclear power plants operating in India and all of them are on sea-side. Opposition to the Kudankulam plant has no reason or rationale. To avoid further delay, the President has to intervene on this important issue. The best way is to post army there and commission the power plant,” he said amidst applause from the audience.

He said union home ministry officials had inspected the books of a couple of NGOs in Tuticorin and in Madurai to check whether they were funding the protest against KNPP.

"The inspections were done at Christian NGOs thereby giving a colour that Christians are against the project. The inspections could have been done at a later date as the protest against the atomic power plant is going on now. Further why should select NGOs be targeted for inspections," he added.

The central government officials wound up their inspections Thursday.

The People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which is leading the ongoing anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project agitation, has decided to send some of the members of its 28-member experts' panel for the proposed talks scheduled for January 31 with the Central Expert panel at the Tirunelveli Collectorate.

“If the Central panel, which is now addressing the students of various colleges on the issues pertaining to the KKNPP, refuses to talk with our representatives, our members in the State panel will not participate in the talks to be conducted on January 31 with the Central Expert panel members,” said S.P. Udayakumar.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Dr. Udayakumar said that PMANE's experts, based on scientific facts and findings had raised several doubts pertaining to the insecure geology of the region surrounding the KKNPP. The Central government's expert panel had the responsibility of answering all these queries and clear their doubts. If the Central experts' team refused to speak to the PMANE's specialists, then anti-nuke representatives in the State panel would not be part of the talks to be held on January 31.

He claimed that the ongoing agitation against KKNPP was being carried forward only with contributions from villagers agitating against the upcoming nuclear power programme. He dismissed allegations that PMANE was getting succour from abroad and some of the non-governmental organisations funded by foreign agencies.

NGOs being threatened
“The Central government, which is levelling all these baseless allegations to divert public attention, is also threatening the NGOs being run by Christian churches through surprise raids though it did not yield any information to prove their charges. In fact, the officials who conducted these raids have lauded the manner in which these organisations are being administered,” Dr. Udayakumar said.

He said that PMANE was prepared to show to anybody except Congress functionaries all its “well-maintained” financial transaction details pertaining to the funds being raised by them after the struggle commenced, its expenses etc. “We've nothing to hide.”

Pro-nuclear activist criticised
Dr. Udayakumar, terming pro-nuclear activist T.K. Sathya Seelan “a thug as per the police records of Ambattur police station in Chennai since 2008,” added that the Department of Atomic Energy should not solicit the services of “such unruly elements” for mobilising support for KKNPP.

Kailash wrote:India ranks poor in nuclear material security, Australia may stop uranium sale

Were they exporting uranium to us in the first place?

National approval of Nuclear power has sunk well beneath 50% for the first time and the AEC is floundering in the deep when questions are asked.

abhischekcc wrote:Can anybody list out the churches and/or evangelical organizations that are involved in the protests?

It would be interesting to investigate their affiliations and donors.

The skyrocketing cost of imported coal is wreaking havoc on the financial solvency of the country's coal plants.

"Despite disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima, risk in nuclear energy is the least. Climate change could be bigger than a nuclear bomb," Kakodkar, Homi Bhabha Chair Professor at BARC, said delivering a lecture on 'Sustainable Energy Security for India: Challenges and Options' organised by the IISc here.
. . .
He termed the other common perception that radiation exposure at any level is harmful as "questionable hypothesis". Fukushima had no fatality caused by radiation. "We are used to varying levels of radiation exposure with no adverse affects," he said {*}.
. . .

German anti-nuclear activist Rainer Hermman is reported to have helped the anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project movement receive monetary assistance from abroad through a Kerala-based organisation of fishermen, according to a top IB source.
. . .

Sanatanan wrote:Deccan Chronicle, 23 Jan 2012
German helped get funds for nuke stir

German anti-nuclear activist Rainer Hermman is reported to have helped the anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project movement receive monetary assistance from abroad through a Kerala-based organisation of fishermen, according to a top IB source.
. . .

In yesterday's Dinamalar Tamil daily, it had been hinted (without citing any sources, though), that the funds originated from the USA and routed through Germany. Rainer Hermman's name had also been mentioned in that story.

NAGPUR: Continuing its exercise of exploring known as well as newer areas for uranium, the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) for Exploration and Research is now enhancing activities in the Satpuda-Gondwana formations, especially in the Sarguja belt.

The directorate is also focusing on increasing exploration activities in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh for rare earth metals like niobium (used in nuclear reactors) and tantalum (used in electronics industry).

AMD director Pratap Singh Parihar told TOI that the central region (Nagpur office) of the directorate covering some parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha had long been exploring for uranium in the Gondwana formations in Central India. Recently, it has enhanced its activities in the Satpuda-Gondwana formations, especially in Sarguja district in Chhattisgarh. Central region has already been working in Sarguja, Indravati and Jagdalpur areas in Chhattisgarh, and Nalpani area in Durg district. The directorate is also drilling for uranium in Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Karnataka.

"We are targeting extension areas in the already known presence of uranium in these Satupda-Gondwana formations. The signatures of mineral were already there. We are now going for more detailed investigations of migmatite rock types, known to contain uranium. Drilling work has already begun in some areas," he said. Parihar was in the city to inaugurate a science expo organized by Raman Science Centre.

AMD is also shifting its focus towards rare earth metals, especially niobium and tantalum. These metals are already known in these states in certain areas. The directorate is now concentrating the search in detailed manner in the established areas. "We are getting good results at Marlagalam in Mandya district in Karnataka," commented Parihar. Niobium is a metal used as an alloy in nuclear reactors and is hence important for AMD while tantalum is used in the electronics industry.

One of the biggest achievement of the directorate in the recent past has been establishing presence of as much as 62,000 tons of uranium at 450 parts per million concentration from earlier known occurrence of 15,000 tons in Kadappa district in Andhra Pradesh.

In fact, Uranium Corporation India Limited ( UCIL) has already constructed an underground mine at Tummalapalle. The commercial production of uranium may commence any time this year.

kshatriya wrote:

abhischekcc wrote:Can anybody list out the churches and/or evangelical organizations that are involved in the protests?

It would be interesting to investigate their affiliations and donors.

So far
"Two NGOs run by Tuticorin Archbishop Evan Ambrose received Rs 54 crore in recent months from foreign countries, including the US.
An NGO, said to be run by M Pushparayan, organiser of the agitation against the nuclear project, also got funds from other countries, home ministry sources said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 534104.cms
The local Tamil Channels/news report lot of names. Not sure why this largely boycotted by the INC media..may because the protesters are their vote bank

S P Udayakumar, convener of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, said, "This is an intimidating exercise by the government. They are abusing the state power. It clearly shows that they don't believe in democracy. I can assure that we haven't got a penny from any body."

chetak wrote:

Sanatanan wrote:Deccan Chronicle, 23 Jan 2012
German helped get funds for nuke stir

It is the bloody americans who are causing the trouble as they have been doing in the north east and also in the other parts of the country.

Kailash wrote:India's first PFBR to go critical early 2013

Kailash wrote:India's first PFBR to go critical early 2013

Land acquisition for nuclear plant in A.P. faces stiff resistance

It is the same old story of development versus displacement and the haplessness of the infirm against the might of the state.

With the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement paving the way for India to purchase uranium from the global market, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has lined up a series of nuclear plants in different parts of the country, including one at Kovvada in the backward Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

Following the tsunami-triggered disaster at Fukushima-Daiichi plant in Japan last year, opposition to nuclear plants is growing in the country. While fierce and widespread protests were witnessed in Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu), where one of the two VVER-type reactors ( 2,000 MWe) is ready for operation, people in and around Kovvada are also resisting the proposed establishment of six reactors (1,594 MWe each) to generate 9,564 MWe with an investment of Rs. 1 lakh crore.

Authorities are gearing up to acquire around 2,000 acres at Pedda Kovvada, Chinna Kovvada, Tekkali and Ramachandrapuram. Despite promises of attractive compensation packages, land acquisition is facing stiff resistance from 3,000 families likely to be displaced and civil society groups.

Although Kovvada plant project director G.V. Ramesh claims that 90 per cent of the people are in favour of the project and had given their consent to the Joint Collector, the former Sarpanch, Mylapalli Polisu, rejects any package on the ground that a majority of the people were opposed to the project. “The problem will not end with announcement of the package,” he warns.

"Bleak future”

Another villager, M. Appanna, who was among the group of people taken on a guided tour to the Kalpakkam atomic power project in Tamil Nadu, says he is not convinced by the officials' argument. “Our future will be bleak as land rates are skyrocketing and many restrictions have been imposed on fishing,” he adds. A local leader, A. Ramulu, says villagers are unable to raise loans or sell properties, leaving them with no choice but to accept the package.

Mr. Ramesh says 1,200 acres to be acquired belonged to the government and it is quite possible to negotiate and meet most of the demands. NPCIL will implement whatever is listed by the government's policy laying down that land compensation should be four times the existing rates. “They will get a very good package,” he says.

Mr. Ramesh says the technology of the six reactors is the latest — generation III Plus. They are absolutely safe and automatically shut down in case of an earthquake of over 7.2 magnitude. Besides, all the systems are passive. “Once it gets shut down, the reactor's cooling would take place on its own for a fortnight. Only then, human intervention would be required.”

The former Union Power Secretary, E.A.S. Sarma, a vocal critic of the Kovvada plant, accuses the Andhra Pradesh government of violating rules and ordering forcible acquisition of 2,252 acres. He terms it a ‘decide-and-announce' approach.

According to him, however low be the probability of a Fukushima-like disaster at Kovvada, the outcome of an accident will not only be extensive but affect future generations too. People exposed to radioactivity can have genetic disorders and cancerous diseases. The low liability cap in the civil nuclear liability law also raise doubts about the safety of the imported reactors.

He says Kovvada is densely populated and within the “exclusion” zone up to 1.5 km from the project site, where no one is expected to live, there are five villages, mostly of fishermen, with 3,504 people, and 560 acres of agricultural land.

Within the “sterilised” zone up to 5 km, where no development will take place, there are 42 villages. In the “emergency planning zone,” up to 16 km, there are 66 villages, while a large number of people are residing in the “impact assessment” zone up to 30 km. The threat of evacuation in the event of an accident will constantly hang over them.

Dr. Sarma says it is premature to start land acquisition even before the Ministry of Environment and Forests has an opportunity to evaluate alternative sites, get an Environmental Impact Assessment study done, hold public consultations and get the project appraised as per the requirement in the Environment (Protection) Act. Those residing in the four zones are yet to be informed of the dangers.

The Department of Atomic Energy has failed to comply with the disclosure norms set out in Section 4 of the RTI Act. “Forcible land acquisition against this background amounts to gross violation of human rights,” he says.

Just today a video was uploaded on youtube on an interview with a German Filmmaker who has put together a documentary to show that 100% electricity from renewable sources from free fuels is 100% possible. But he adds that "Some very powerful people do not want to give up deadly and dangerous nuclear power. Here is the link to the video Please watch what this man has to say. We have to be strong and brave and fight these evil people who want to keep us on the brink of extinction with their evil plans. The video is entitled "Fukushima Japan, Global Effects, Renewable Energy and is uploaded by rumorecuriouso and can be located on youtube.

N S Venkataraman, Jan 27,2012:

A number of important infrastructure projects in the country, that are vitally necessary to sustain the industrial and economic growth have been stalled in the last few months due to the agitation by the so called environmentalists, who do not listen to scientific and technical explanations.

It is sad that a few hundreds of determined agitators have been able to dictate terms and enforce their views by threatening mass demonstration and violence on any issue.

The agitation against Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu is an immediate example, when a few thousand agitators can stall the project and not listening to any appeal and explanations by experts. Even the appeal by the former president and renowned scientist Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has fallen on deaf ears and the agitation is being continued ‘successfully.’

The net result is that more than Rs 13,000 crore invested in the Kudankulam nuclear plant threatens to go waste and with no one knowing now as to whether it would be commissioned at all. Tamil Nadu is now facing severe power cuts with shortage of around 2000 mw and several parts of the state have been subjected to power cut for 5 to 6 hours every day, leading to closure of tiny and small industries and loss of employment.

Unwarranted expansion

Even as Kudankulam is blocked, a national level coordination committee of so called environmental activists was formed in Chennai city recently to fight through courts what they called the unwarranted expansion of thermal power plants along the coast. The committee said that it would ask the Centre and state governments for an immediate halt to the expansion of the thermal plants until a cumulative assessment of the actual energy needs were spelt out clearly in a white paper.

Some agitators do not want nuclear power plants and want thermal power plants should be set up in their place. Some other agitators do not want thermal power plants. There are others in central and western India who are protesting against the hydro electric power projects. All these agitators are getting huge media publicity and they are interviewed here, there and everywhere making them look like environmental heroes. This scenario is creating confusion in the minds of the common man in India who do not have technological awareness, as to whether the environmentalists have a valid case. Such publicity is encouraging a number of other professional agitators and local politicians to enter the fray, all in the name of environmental protection. Probably, all these agitators want India to be driven to a dark age in the name of environmental protection.

Recently, local protestors have forced the country’s biggest iron ore miner National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) to suspend production and shipments from Jharkhand, which accounts for two thirds of its 25 million tonnes annual output. NMDC’s mines in Chhattisgarh produce daily about 40,000 tonnes of the ore, which is vital for the steel industry. It is reported that the railways refused to supply wagons on fears that they could be attacked by agitators. Piling stocks then forced suspension of the production. Vast areas of the mineral rich state are a stronghold of Maoist rebels and public protests against the government have become common.

There are many other agitations now going on such as the protest against nuclear power project in Maharashtra, against opening of uranium mines in Meghalaya etc. The proposal of Tata group to invest around Rs 2,000 crore in Tamil Nadu was given up due to agitation by the local population against land acquisition for the project. Several rules and regulations do exist with regard to the implementation of projects such as environmental clearance, public hearing etc. but the agitators seem to have their own ‘rules and regulations.’ Now, where do we go from here? If such conditions persist and agitators continue to have a field day,there would be huge industrial and economic setback for India which will prove to be too costly.

One gets an impression that the main reason for such frequent agitations is that the governments have given an impression that they would be guided only by vote bank politics in dealing with the agitators and in the process showing that they have no conviction. It is high time that national opinion should be built up against such counter productive agitations.

It is nobody’s case that any violation of environmental stipulations should be tolerated or lands should be acquired for the projects displacing poor people. But, there should be proper forum and methodologies to take decision on such matters without they becoming a subject of street agitations and violent protests.

Karnataka Minister for Fisheries Science and Technology Anand V Asnotikar has urged the Centre to relocate residents of five villages within the five-kilometre radius of the Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Uttara Kannada district.

In his meeting with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-chairman M Shashidar Reddy here on Friday, the minister said around 500 families residing in five villages like Balemani, Hartuga, Harur, Balase and Sulageri were seeking rehabilitation at the earliest.

As these villages are falling within the sterilised zone of the nuclear plant and has no basic facilities, they should be relocated to other places by providing better amenities, he said in the memorandum submitted to the NDMA.

“These villages are sandwiched between the atomic power plant on the one side and the Kali hydel power project and Western Ghats on the other.

“Residents of these villages are therefore living in a constant state of panic. They don’t have an escape route in the event of a disaster, leave alone the possibility of a rescue team reaching them,” he said.

Seeking early relocation, residents of these villages have been staging a dharna before the Karwar deputy commissioner’s office for the past 55 days, he said.

Though Reddy explained to him that only residents living within the radius of 1.6 kilometre sterile zone {*} can be rehabilitated, the minister asked him to consider the village residents as a special case.

The minister said he would lead another delegation comprising villagers to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explain their situation.

The much-awaited talks between the Central experts team on Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project and the State panel, scheduled for Tuesday, did not take place after a couple of anti-nuke protestors were roughed up by Hindu Munnani activists on the Collectorate premises here even as they arrived at the venue for talks.

“We cannot be cowed down by such undemocratic intimidations, being unleashed by the Congress and Hindu fanatics”.

Even as the Central team members were waiting at the Collector's chamber on the first floor of the Collectorate for the arrival State panel members M. Pushparayan and Rev. Fr. M.P. Jesuraj, a group of Hindu Munnani activists and local office-bearers, led by Mr. Jayakumar, came to the venue to submit a memorandum to the Collector, seeking immediate arrest of Dr. Udayakumar and others, including RC Bishop of Tuticorin Diocese Rt. Rev. Yvon Ambroise “for inciting violence and triggering panic by spreading rumours about the KKNPP.”

While Mr. Jayakumar was speaking to the waiting reporters, the sports utility vehicle carrying anti-nuke protestors, including Mr. Pushparayan, Rev. Fr. Jesuraj, Dr. Udayakumar and Muhilan entered the Collectorate premises. On seeing them, about 15 Hindu Munnani activists accompanying Mr. Jayakumar charged towards the vehicle and forcibly opened the door to drag Mr. Muhilan out of the vehicle. A group of 16 women, all accompanying the anti-nuke protestors in a separate van, surrounded the Hindu Munnani activists and assaulted them with their footwear.

Following this development, Dr. Udayakumar and his team left the Collectorate premises after declaring that they would not take part in the talks anymore “as the Centre has started exterminating the anti-nuke protesters”.

As they informed their relatives about this incident, church bells in all coastal hamlets of the district around 11.15 a.m. mobilised fishermen from all these villages near the Kamaraj statue close to the main gate of KKNPP site an hour later. A road roko was staged condemning the attack.

“We cannot be cowed down by such undemocratic intimidations, being unleashed by the Congress and Hindu fanatics”.

gakakkad wrote:

“We cannot be cowed down by such undemocratic intimidations, being unleashed by the Congress and Hindu fanatics”.

I can't believe what I am reading .