Put Indian lives above foreign profits -- Stop the import of dangerous untested nuclear reactors

While the French President Nicolas Sarkozy enjoyed tourist attractions in India, people in Maharastra’s Ratnagiri district were protesting against the French nuclear reactor proposed in their village. Instead of listening to their demands the government has now signed a nuclear deal with France.

The government is going to import untested nuclear reactors from the French nuclear corporation Areva. Areva has a dirty track record of nuclear contamination in the countries where their plants were functional like the La Hague facility in Europe. Moreover, the location for this reactor is on a high earthquake zone which has been ignored by the environmental impact assessment. This raises concerns about the safety of people around the plant.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh needs to place public safety before foreign profit.The people of
Ratnagiri district and over 28,000 people from the country are not supporting the government’s plan. More and more people raising their voice against this plant will make it difficult for the PM to ignore this opposition.

Can you also sign this petition to the Prime Minister, asking him to safeguard people’s interest first?

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/What-We-Do/Nuclear-Unsafe/ask-manmohan-singh-to-stop-untested-nuclear-reactors/

The petition says: Put Indian lives above foreign profits -- Stop the import of dangerous nuclear reactors to Maharashtra.

A large number of signatures on the petition will show that the opposition is national and not confined to the Ratnagiri district. This will help convince the PM to put national interest before profits.

This project is being talked of as one that will hugely improve the energy situation in India, but the truth is that the 1650 MW from this plant will happen only nine years down the line at the quickest! Renewable energy and energy efficiency could replace the same in a year!

The site for the nuclear power plant is an earthquake prone zone which magnifies the harm an accident can do here. A nuclear accident here will affect the entire district and nearby cities like Mumbai The PM needs to consider the cost of people’s life before foreign profits.

Sign the petition now to help make the PM act.

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/What-We-Do/Nuclear-Unsafe/ask-manmohan-singh-to-stop-untested-nuclear-reactors/

Thanks a billion!



Sources:

1. France signs pact on Jaitapur N-plant, Hindustan Times, December 7th, 2010
http://www.hindustantimes.com/France-signs-pact-on-Jaitapur-N-plant/Article1-635288.aspx

2. India racing to buy an untried reactor? The Hindu, December 5, 2010.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article933910.ece

3. The French Nuclear Industry Is Bad Enough in France; Let's Not Expand It to the U.S., March 23rd 2009.
http://www.alternet.org/story/132852/