Kudankulam Nuclear Power project: 25 year old saga

25 Year Old Saga Kudankulam – timeline of events
Nov 1988	Seeds down for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP). Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet President Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev sign inter-governmental agreement in New Delhi
June 1998	KNPP to be revived. Russia and India sign Supplementary agreement in New Delhi
Sep 2001	Ground breaking ceremony for two units of 1000 MW each
Nov 2001	One more agreement signed by India and Russia during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee’s visit to Moscow
Mar 2002	Construction work begins for to units
Jan 2007	India and Russia sign MoU for four more units
Sep 06, 2008	Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) lofts 16-year-old embargo on nuclear commerce with India. This allows India to resume civil nuclear cooperation with the rest of the world despite processing nuclear weapons
Mar 2011	Nuclear plant accident in Fukushima, Japan following tsunami
Aug 2011	KNPP site director announces offsite emergency mock-up exercise, triggering scare among locals. A Gram Sabha meeting in Kudankulam demands KNPP immediate closure. Anti-KNPP protests planned
Sep 2011	Indefinite fast launched Protestors meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalithaa Tamil Nadu Cabinet urges Centre to suspend work. Fast comes to an end
Oct 2011	Centre constitutes Experts Group to hold discussion with stakeholders
Nov 2011	Former President Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam visits Kudankulam site and declares that the plant is safe. Experts Group, State government officials and local people meet in Tirunelveli
Dec 2011	Russia and India agree on Russian credit for two more units during Dr. Singh’s visit to Moscow
Jan 2012	Experts Group’s final meeting
Feb 2012	Hindu Munnani members attack anti-KNPP protestors at Tirunelveli Collectorate. Ms. Jayalalithaa announces formation of State Government’s expert committee; expert committee visits Tirunelveli and presents report to Ms. Jayalalithaa. Anti-KNPP leader Mr. S P Udayakumar meets Ms. Jayalalithaa in Chennai
Mar 2012	Tamil Nadu Cabinet expresses support to KNPP and unveils Rs. 500 crore package for infrastructure improvement in Kudankulam. Police, for the first time since the commencement of the anti-KNPP stir, arrest nine anti-nuke agitators.
Jun 2012	Green signal for four more nuclear units of 1000 MW each
Aug 2012	AERB grants permission for fuel loading in the first reactor
Sep 2012	Protestors attempt to lay siege to KNPP complex via beach, prevented by Police, leading to clash. One fishermen dies 6 protestors including 3 women arrested on various charges including sedition. Arvind Kejriwal, nowleader of the Aam Aadmi Party, visits anti-KNPP protestes in Idinthakarai, and vows to take the protest to national level One fishermen dies in ‘jal satyagarha’ Fuel loading begins at KNPP’s first reactor
Nov 2012	Judicial Magistrate, Valliyur, grants bail on one ground to 3 activists arrested in September but the activists could not be released as other charges are pending
Dec 2012	Fishermen stage sea-based agitation against arrest of anti-nuke activists held on sedition charges
May 2013	Supreme Court dismisses all cases against KNPP. One more round of sea-based agitation.
Jul 2013	AERB grants clearance for First Approach to Criticality. Unit-1 attains criticality. PMANE (People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy) vows to continue stir.

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