GXE statement on Jaitapur nuclear reactor protests

Goenchea Xetkanracho Ekvott (GXE), an umbrella organization working closely with numerous Goan groups on agriculture and environmental issues, strongly condemns the Government of India and the State Government of Maharashtra for the dictatorial and uncostitutional measures being taken to suppress the legitimate struggle of residents of Jaitapur and neighbouring villages to voice their concerns regarding the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant.

GXE denounces the ongoing police atrocities and regime of terror unleashed by the State to silence the beleagured farmers of Konkan as an attempt to undermine our Constitution. Retired Supreme Court and High Court judges are among thousands of villagers slapped with criminal charges and prohibitory orders in a shameful display of medieval inquisitive repression. Innocent visitors, scientists and mediapersons are being stopped by swarms of armed CRPF and other security forces from accessing the entire region in a blatant attempt to stifle the voices of reason and truth. The almost complete media blackout regarding the ground reality in Jaitapur is a frightening reminder of the infamous Emergency. The State seems to be keen to give a message to all Indians that it is more than willing to treat innocent residents as if they are terrorists, not just in Kashmir, but in any other part of India.

The cause of this standoff between the State with thousands of armed forces and the entire executive and judiciary on one side, and the poor farmers on the other, is the ongoing land acquisition for the 10,000 MW nuclear power plant proposed at the Madban plateau located on the picturesque coast of Konkan. The Government's unholy secrecy and haste are attempts to hide the ugly truths regarding this project, which include issues fundamental to the safety and survival of millions of Indians living in the densely populated Konkan, Goa and neighbouring regions. There is not a single working reactor of this new technology in the entire World, and even the design is not finalized due to safety concerns. However, Environmental Clearance has been granted by the Indian Government to this project due to “strategic reasons”, without obtaining regulatory approval from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), and side-stepping the basic safety considerations. The design and detailed project specifications are yet to be submitted to the AERB. Yet, contractual agreements have been signed during the French President's recent visit to India, effectively awarding the French company Areva this 1 lakh crores project.

When proven indeginous nuclear reactors can be built for less than half the price, why is the Government hell bent on buying this untested and incomplete design from the French? It is our grave concern that the Indian Government is blindly attempting to salvage the French economy by gifting its dying nuclear industry this bonanza, but at huge costs to genuine Indian interests. This project is doomed financially as well as technologically, and even if the safety concerns are ignored, the issues related to soveregnity of our nation, economics, radioactive waste and other environmental aspects are significant.

GXE demands that the Indian Government removes all restrictions on freedom of speech, movement and association presently imposed on Jaitapur region and that it takes all measures necessary to restore our sagging confidence in the Indian Democracy immediately. We also demand that all issues regarding the design, life expectancy and decommissioning of the proposed plant, the procurement of fuel and disposal of waste, radioactivity, accident risks and safety, total project costs and comparison with alternative energy sources, purpose of the plant, environmental and social impact and Absolute Liability of the supplier are placed before the Indian Public, whose Fundamental Rights to Information and Life shall otherwise be crushed. We demand that until Public Approval is obtained after going though transparent and proper review procedures in Public Domain, the Land Acquisition process must be stopped and all Agreements and Contracts signed with Areva, or others, must be ignored by the Government.

GXE calls upon all Goans, residents of the Western Ghats and surrounding regions, and all other Indians to rise and defend our country from this blatantly illegal and unconstitutional attempt of the Government to appease Western Countries by feeding their dying industries at the cost of our economy, society, environment, and possibly even our very existence. If the Government fails to listen to the voice of reason, it shall be up to us, the people, to protect our Constitution, our lives, our lands and the future generations.

Petition on Jaitapur anti-nuclear protests and police repression

Janhit Seva Samiti

At and Post Madban, Taluka Rajapur, District Ratnagiri.

Dated December 19, 2010

To

Respected District Superintendent of Police,

District Ratnagiri, Ratnagiri.

Sub- Regarding Mass Agitations Against Proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project.

Respected Sir,

This is to bring to your notice that we the project affected community farmers and fishermen of Madban, Mithgavane, Karel Niveli, Nate and Several Surrounding Villages have been waging peacefull protests against the above mentioned Proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project. Since the hazardous and near fatal consequences of the project are increasingly clear, the agitation as you are well aware is spreading. While we have always endeavored to wage peacefull protests, the police under the garb of maintaining law and order have been found to be arresting and pressing grave criminal charges against innocent villagers since August 2, 2010 right upto December 4, 2010 and the recent incident that took place yesterday in which a innocent villager Irfan Kazi was killed due to reckless driving by a vehicle provided by NPCIL and which was in charge of your police force.

These incidents have only instigating the local villagers against your very force and police personnel who are our very brotheren just doing their police duty. In light of the incident yesterday which has disturbed the law and order of the area once again for no fault of the local community, we the activist of the above Samiti and the agitation have met and upon deliberating on the developments so far have resolved to intensify the agitation but in a peacefull manner using the Gandhian Satyagrahi way of peacefull agitations. You may kindly take note of the peacefull manner in which the Jail Bharo Agitation of October 29, 2010 took place at Madban in which around three thousand people participated.

Some of your responsible officers are clearly biased against us and have fallen short in understanding the reasons which form the base of the agitations and the manner in which we have sought to agitate. In fact these officers have time and again provoked the peacefull protestors to take either take law into their own hands or have pressed serious criminal charges against such villagers who were not even part of the agitation. The nature of the charges being pressed against villagers is of such serious nature that it they are not even found to be pressed against hardcore criminals.

In light of the above you may kindly take note that our agitations is against wrongfull and hazardous developmental policies of the government and not against the police, we wish to continue and intensify our agitation but in a peacefull manner till this project is cancelled.

In light of this you are requested to instruct your police officers not to implicate innocent villagers and workers at every opportunity. There is a fear that if this trend continues unscrupulous elements may infiltrate our agitation to create law and order situations which would then be beyond our control and yours too and for we which we shall definitely not be responsible. Hope you shall consider the above and seeing it in true light give necessary instructions to your police officers to maintain restraint in dealing with mass agitations.

Yours Sincerely

Arun Velaskar Madhu Mohite Mangesh Chavan Satyajit Chavan

For

Pravin Gavankar Sharfuddin Kazi Sri Krishna Mayekar Amjad Borkar

Ramesh Kajwe Rajendra Wadekar Saiyyad Habib Vijay Raut

Uttam Pawaskar Anil Tirlotkar Vilas Awasare Prashant Harchekar

Text of the Jilha bandi order against Vaishali Patil

Nuclear industry seeking to bulldoze the nuclear power plant in Jaitapur, Ratnagiri has allegedly got around Collector of Ratnagiri to violate contitutional Fundamental Right to Movement. Three people were served these notices. Former supreme court judge Justice P.B.Sawant, former High court judge Justice Kolse Patil and activist Vaishali Patil. The text of this order is in Marathi language. This is served on Vaishali Patil.

There is a program of protest on October 29, 2010 against nuclear power plant and this orders of the Collector is meant to counter protests.

Jaitapur Nuclear Eclipse shadows Indian Democracy

On 4^th October 2010 evening two of us from Goa found ourselves in Sakhri Nata for a fishermen’s gathering ‘machchimar melava’. It is a small town of Sakhri Nata on Konkan coast that forms an urban centre in Ratnagiri taluka in India’s Maharastra State. Indian democracy here is radiated with French company Areva locating their nuclear power plant with Indian government providing it with red carpet welcome. The surrounding is mostly of fishermen who fish in Arabian sea via mechanized trawlers and other small non-mechanized boats. Thirty years ago these two varieties of fishermen clashed with each other. Today they are clashing with world’s biggest nuclear power plant that is supposed to generate 10,000 mega watts of electricity. National Environmental Engineering Institute (NEERI) prepared the report on this project but its scientists and technician found no trace of fishermen’s villages – Madban and others surrounding villages to suit the location of Nuclear Plant in thickly populated area. Scientists of NEERI are principal colluders in this deadly episode unfolding around 200 kilometers away from Goa’s northern border. In other words NEERI indulged in scientifically unethical practices to prepare a doctored report. And in order to make the reality as per the report government agencies has mounted tremendous pressure on the fishermen to leave fishing trade. It has banned Nepali labor from entering trawler citing that they are a threat to national security. As if Nuclear power plant on the banks of Arabian Sea is any less of national security issue. It has censorship and complete immunity from investigations from anyone including the Parliament. And now of course with Nuclear Liability Bill being passed in the Indian parliament Nuclear Industry dominated by USA and Europe has a field day. It is totally free to carry on the orgy of violence and deception, to remain as invisible as Alfa, Beta, and Gama rays. So fisheries are being pushed to fold up and let the control of Arabian Sea under the nuclear baron’s buttons. 5,500 crore litres of water from Arabian Sea will be used daily and after hitting it will be released back into the Sea thereby threatening marine ecology adversely. All this I learned in the introduction at the public meeting at Sakhri Nata by Vaishali Patil who is active in various protests movements that includes mining out of Western Ghats. Vaishali is keenly followed up by the Indian Intelligence agencies and in Sakhri Nata special sleuth from IB was there as an extended eye of the big brother. Number of people spoke at this evening public meeting video filmed by Maharastra Police. With Kaiga power nuclear plant just 22 kilometers away from Goa’s southern border in Karnatak already a reality Goa state is now is nuclear sandwich state with alarming consequences.

Pravin Dhawankar shared his experience of facing police violence while in struggle. He is involved locally to mobilize people against Nuclear power plant. He questioned if India is free after witnessing police mauling of protesting citizens in Jaitapur. Police moved in Madban village kicked every village house and even arrested few people. Pravin himself was arrested while he was sick and subjected to police harassment some time ago. He was sure about what is needed to be done: time to come out on the streets.

Madban Sarpanch Bicaji Vagdhare disclosed that Colonial Law – Land Acquisition Act 1894 has been imposed by the State to take over the land for nuclear power plant. He was clear in the resolved the struggle: government will be responsible for the consequences.

Nirajat from the organization called Lakayat gave lots of technical information to the public. The nuclear capacity is 100 times that of Hiroshima atom bombs. It would generate 300 tonnes nuclear waste per year for 24 years. This will amount to total waste of 12,000 tonnes. This waste will remain radio active for the period of 3,000 years as per the doctored government studies but actual nuclear life of the waste will be 1 lakh lakh (10000000000) years.

President of National Fishermen’s Forum Mathany Saldanha called for the political fight and asked the fishermen to join the national protest on 29^th October 2010.

Former Member of Indian Parliament Major Sudhir Sawant launched scathing criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh branding him as an Agent of USA corporations – ‘Dalal’. He said that it is the foreign corporate who are responsible for setting up Nuclear Power plants in India. He said this is a conspiracy to blackmail India.

Justice Kolse Patil, a retired High court Judge called for peaceful protests and asked people to launch house to house campaign to create awareness. He said that Gandhi and Indian constitution provides enough resources for successful movement against the corporate in peaceful manner. He directed his salvos against the police repression and asked people to combine efforts to fight police out the Jaitapur: ‘Once police leave, nuclear plant will leave’. He declared that he will join the struggle against Areva nuclear plant on streets with the protesting villagers. He called for fearlessness in a fight till the end.

Thomas Kochery, a veteran in fishermen’s struggle in India who survived heart attack four times last year was again at his committed best and laid out the agitation roadmap for future tracing its roots into the past struggles. He observed that Government of India is incapable of handling Chernobyl type of nuclear accident. This is evident from the fact that Government of India has done nothing after the Bopal gas tragedy. He mentioned that all the nuclear power plants are planed to be located on the coast because companies want to dump all the radio active waste in the sea. ‘They want to kill all the fish. They want to communicate radio activity to all the human beings. 30-40 kilometers radius distance will affected with the radioactive waste. All future generations, pregnant women will be affected with radio active rays. We have to oppose because of heavy generation of Carbon dioxide (CO2). India has no plans to reduce CO2.’ He further added ‘we have to oppose new CRZ notification. By opposing CRZ we are opposing all the projects on the coast. Fishing communities are betrayed by Government of India. We have to rise up like 1991-97 protests against deep sea fishing policy. One crore fishermen had stood against this. If we rise up on the entire coast, all the political parties will come behind us. Agitation is starting on 29^th October 2010.’

‘There must be no fishing on 29^th October. There must be no selling of fish. No eating of fish. This is the beginning. Like how we blocked Bombay harbor, blocked Kutch harbor, Porbandar harbor, blocked Cochin and Vishakkapatnam harbor. 1994 February 22 entire fishing community went on strike – 100%. No markets worked. All political parties stood with us. This is the way fishermen responded against deed Sea fishing in India.’

‘Similarly we have to rise up and more and show on 29^th October. Rise up from all over India, from every fishing community. Victory will be ours.’

Nuclear eclipse of Indian democracy will hopefully go away with passage of time. It demands tremendous efforts in defense of life, livelihood, Western Ghats and my dearest Arabian Sea on whose shore I was born on a sand dune on a rainy day in 1973.

Arabian Sea has been playmate and a friend all the years in this life. In times of worst of difficulties I opened my heart to him. Now Arabian Sea has been threatened by Nasty nukes those responsible will only be dumped in the Arabian Sea. It does not matter whether it is Prime Minister of India or of France or any one else. Interest of Life on land and life on Sea take undoubted precedence over orgies of nuclear plants. Its time to fight. This is my cry. This is my beginning. Invite to join to defend my Arabian Sea. I extend my hand and waiting for you hold on to make a chain of hands across the shores of Arabian Sea. I call upon you to generate a wave to blow away dirty nukes from the shores of Arabian Sea. I walk with head held high and fear to none. My voice is my weapon. My mind is my fire. I share my spark so that you get ignited. I carry no wings of fire but live my footprints on the sandy shores of Arabian Sea. I have taken the first step. Next one to follow. Dirty nukes go away. Arabian Sea is not for you. I am a child of Arabian Sea and this is my command to you.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Protests stall public hearing on Jaitapur nuclear project

http://www.thehindu.com/2010/05/17/stories/2010051757251400.htm

Meena Menon

Three affected villages did not receive copies of the environmental impact assessment report

Despite it being Akshaya Trithiya, more than 1,000 people turned up for the hearing

About 2,300 people have lost land to the project

MADBAN (Ratnagiri district): Angry protests stalled a public hearing of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) at Madban village in Maharashtra on Sunday. Only after officials acknowledged their mistake of not providing copies of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) to the affected villages, it was allowed to go on under protest.

Copies of the EIA summary in English were given only to the Madban gram panchayat on April 29 and a full copy in Marathi was given four days before the public hearing. The other three villages from where land was acquired for the project — Karel, Niveli and Mithgavhane — did not receive the EIA report. Pravin Gavhankar of Madban village told the panel, chaired by the Collector, that when a majority of the people did not get the EIA report, the public hearing was a sham and must be scrapped.

Black flags waved

The project has met with strong protests from people whose lands were acquired under protest. About 2300 people lost land to the project for which 938.026 ha. was acquired. Most of them have not accepted the compensation cheques. People waved black flags and shouted slogans while marching to the venue of the hearing at the project site.

Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi said according to law, EIA reports should have been submitted a month in advance.

The hearing was held on a day when it was auspicious for Hindus — Akshaya Trithiya. Many could not come because they were busy with religious functions and weddings. Despite that more than 1,000 people turned up and walked in the heat to the venue that was heavily barricaded. Over 200 people filed fresh objections against the project. People stalled the hearing for over an hour raising loud objections before it got under way.

Protests recorded

Bhikaji Waghdare, who has filed a petition against the project in the Bombay High Court, submitted that the hearing was illegal and it could only continue under protest. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), which organised the hearing, was on the defensive and was forced to record people's protest. Dilip Khedkar of the MPCB, who was on the panel along with Ratnagiri Collector Madhukar Gaikwad, pacified the crowd, telling them that their protests would be duly recorded.

The Madban sarpanch, also named Bhikaji Waghdare, pointed out that the EIA was difficult to understand and the government did not reply to the hundreds of objections from people. “The EIA says there is no agriculture here, which is a complete falsehood,” he said. “You have not taken people into confidence for this project.”

The MPCB said 10 copies were given for distribution and most of them went to various government offices. Only one copy was given to the Madban gram panchayat. Two copies were still with them. At this, the people got more incensed. Mr. Gavhankar, who is leading the protest from Madban, wanted to know if there were plans to sell the two copies of the EIA.

Shouted down

Finally, the people settled down to hear Nuclear Power Corporation of India ltd (NPCIL) representative Shashikant Dharne. However, people said they could not read the presentation made by him on a small screen. They also told him not to digress and speak about the power shortage in the country.

Mr. Dharne tried his best to clarify several questions from the crowd. Suddenly, someone threw a chair towards the stage and it fell in front of the dais.

Mr. Dharne tried in vain to say that the project would not displace anyone. He was shouted down. Throughout the five-hour hearing, the people had the upper hand with their protests and objections. Prakash Waghdare and others said the EIA report was a sham and had no real data. “We don't have suicides here, but if this project is allowed to come, we will be forced to commit suicide,” he threatened.

Satish Nadkar, a local resident of Padvi, said the entire process was questionable. First land was acquired, then people's protests were ignored and now, at the end, a public hearing was being held. The whole thing was meaningless, he said. To his questions, the MPCB was forced to admit that there was no tendering process for the project and AREVA of France was chosen to provide the reactors as part of an international understanding.

Many women like Sheetal Wagdhare and Tara, spoke against the project and how their lives would change as they were dependent on the land that was taken away for the project.

Pointed questions from Vivek Monteiro from the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) put the panel on the back foot.

“The size of the Jaitapur project is 10 times the size of Chernobyl, where the amount of radioactivity after the accident was 400 times that of the bomb explosion at Hiroshima,” he said.

The State government's latest economic survey had put the cost of two units at Jaitapur at Rs 60,000 crore. Based on this, the cost of one MW of power worked out to Rs 18 crore and cost a unit could go up to Rs 9.90. So many options could be explored at this high price, he pointed out.

NPCIL officials refused to clarify the cost as the matter was under negotiation. Mr. Monteiro said when the cost of the reactors was not known, how could the cost of the power be calculated? Yet the EIA said power would be made available at competitive rates.

He called for a stop to any project activity till all this was clarified. In Finland, where AREVA was building a project, the reactor cost was 5.3 billion Euros and it was still under construction.

Waste disposal

He also raised questions on the disposal of radioactive waste. Plans were made for only 100 years, he said.

The NPCIL said it was still searching for a repository site to store the waste after that period. Mr. Monteiro also raised the issue of acts of terrorism and wondered if the project was prepared for that.

Ahmed Borkar, representing the fisherfolk said the EIA report did not even bother to get an accurate data on fisheries in the area and at least 10,000 people depended on that for their survival.

The Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth also came in for attack for the data, or the lack of it, on horticulture.

Collector Mr. Gaikwad said the report of hearing would be sent to the Ministry of Environment within eight days. He admitted that some villages did not receive copies of the EIA.

Mr. C.B. Jain, project director, NPCIL, said the hearing was positive and they had complied with all legal requirements. Now it was up to the Centre to clear the project.