Villagers in two districts of Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan region will launch a three-day mass agitation, starting with a ‘Jail Bharo’ march from tomorrow against the proposed 9,900-Mw nuclear project at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district.
“Tomorrow’s jail bharo is to reiterate the demand for the cancellation of the Jaitapur project. The government should not pursue the proposed project at the cost of the lives of people, flora and fauna. The villagers are strongly opposed to the exploitation of the Konkan region and in particular, the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, and they will not allow the government to go ahead with its plans,” Adwait Pednekar, co-convenor, the Konkan Bachao Samiti told Business Standard.
“The residents of Sakhrinate, Adieware, Dhaulwalli, Dhartale, Madban-Mithgavane and the adjoining areas will participate in Wednesday’s jail bharo march. Villagers feel the recent tender issued by the Nuclear Power Corporation is sufficient indication of the government’s determination to develop the project while neglecting their opposition. The agitation will be further stepped up,” said Anil Gachke, who was associated in a similar protest against the now-defunct Enron power project in the 1990s.
This is the second time that the villagers, comprising mostly of farmers and fishermen, will protest against the Jaitapur project.