Activists working against the use of nuclear energy in the country are demanding details of the emergency plan from the authorities for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP).

They want to determine if the authorities will be able to evacuate the people living in the 16-km radius of the plant. M. Pushparayan, a leader of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) said that the groups aims to know the level of preparedness of the three district administrations as the plant is ready to for commissioning.

“According to the atomic energy project norms, the 16-km radius from a nuclear power plant is defined as evacuation zone or emergency planning zone. In case of any nuclear accident, people living within that radius have to be evacuated,” he said. He added that there are about 40-50 villages within the 16-km radius of the KNPP.

People from the local area had launched their movement against the project at time when it was almost complete and was ready to be operationalized. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has given its approval for loading of the fuel into the first unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. The approval will result in the commencement of the controlled nuclear fission process in the nuclear plant that will generate much needed electricity for the states in the region.