Greens flay nuke installation at Sunderbans

CALCUTTA, JUNE 3: Environmentalists are protesting against the installation of a nuclear power plant in the world heritage Sunderbans fore...

CALCUTTA, JUNE 3: Environmentalists are protesting against the installation of a nuclear power plant in the world heritage Sunderbans forest, saying it will pose a threat to the environment.

The Ganatantrik Nagarik Samity, Howrah, an NGO working for environment protection in West Bengal, has said it should be treated as a violation of the fundamental right (Article 21) ensuring protection to life. It has alleged that such a plant will pose a serious health hazard to the people in its vicinity besides destroying the fragile eco-system of the protected mangrove forests.

On the eve of the World Environment Day yesterday, Samity general secretary Subhas Dutta said they were not against sustainable development in the Sundarbans area or the setting up of any such power plant elsewhere, but were concerned about the possible disaster the project might cause.

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He also said the project would cause large-scale denudation of the mangrove forest which is already being depleted.

Dutta said while the Supreme Court had already directed that “there will be no felling of trees in any forest, public or private place,” the Centre’s move to install such a plant in the Sunderbans area would violate the apex court directives.

The Samity also expressed concern about the storage, transportation and disposal of radioactive material or waste which they said would pose a risk to both environment and people in the vicinity and demanded a debate on the issue.

Criticising an expert’s comment that the nuclear power plant was eco-friendly and totally safe, a group of experts in the field of nuclear science working with the Samity said no one could comment on the invisible hazards and dangers arising out of a nuclear power plant.

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The Centre should locate an alternate site for such power plants, the Samity added.