Neutrino lab project is part of India-US nuclear deal, claims NGO

The Times of India 
April 02, 2018

Poovulagin Nanbargal, the environmental organisation which went to the National Green Tribunal against the India-based Neutrino Laboratory (INO), has decided to appeal against the project again while continuing to frequent the villages in the proposed site and create awareness. Speaking to TOI, co-ordinator of the NGO, G Sundarrajan explains why they are against the project.

The explosives used to create the laboratory will have very dangerous consequences for the Western Ghats where all life forms exist. Why endanger an entire eco system and also destroy a charnockite rock which is older than all forms of life itself.
How does the project endanger the region?

We all know that the roads caved in at Anna Salai in Chennai due to the metro project. This occurred months after the work on the project was completed in the area. So there is no time frame for the after-effects. In the metro project they used tunnelling machines, whereas tonnes of explosives are to be used to break the very hard rock in Pottipuram.

This laboratory is going to be set up as per the India-US nuclear deal and will only benefit the USA, which will use it to detect and defuse nuclear bombs of its enemies. Even late President A P J Abdul Kalam said neutrinos would detect and destroy nuclear bombs.
The project will start if the TNPCB gives its clearance. Is it not?

The state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) had raised concerns about the project coming up in the watershed area of Vaigai dam. Legally, the TNPCB cannot give the clearance as the committee constituted by it to study the project is yet to submit its report. Also, the environment ministry has got it cleared as a category B project though it is really a category A project.

How do you see the people’s attitude to the project now, compared to the earlier days?
Earlier, they did not know what they would lose, but now they know they would lose their cultural and traditional rights. They consider the Ambarappar hill as their deity and also stand to lose their rights of pasture. Basically they are agriculturists and have about 30,000 livestock amongst them.


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