-The Hindu
As the situation in Kudankulam and nearby areas remained incident-free but tense on Tuesday after a day of violent protests, officials said a team of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) finished yet another inspection and preparations were almost complete for loading enriched uranium in the first of the two 1,000-MWe reactors of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).
As fuel-loading is expected to begin in the next 48 hours, the brass of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, including its Chairman and Managing Director K.C. Purohit, are camping here to monitor all important exercises that would subsequently mark the criticality of the first reactor.
Though the AERB has given its mandatory approval for fuel-loading, the KKNPP invited it to do one more inspection to double-check the preparations. Subsequently, an AERB team was dispatched
As the inspection is over, it is expected that the loading of 163 enriched uranium fuel assemblies will begin robotically in the next 48 hours.
Udayakumar taken away in boat
Meanwhile, there was some drama at Idinthakarai, when protest coordinator S.P. Udayakumar broke down while addressing the residents and spoke of his intention to surrender in connection with Monday’s violence.
However, some youths whisked him away to a boat that sped deep into the sea. There was speculation that Dr. Udayakumar would surrender late at Tuesday night after discussions with anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal, who has reached Idinthakarai.