M.VETRI SELVAN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner is an Advocate and he is actively associated with "Poovulagin Nanbargal" (Friends of Globe), a registered Public Trust, advancing the cause such as protection of environment and forests and has filed this writ petition as a Public Interest Litigation praying for the issuance of a writ of mandamus forbearing the respondents from running Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) (Units I and II), Kalpakkam, Kanchipuram District, without first obtaining Environmental Clearance.

(2.) THE petitioner, subsequently, filed M.P.No.2/2013 praying for amendment of the prayer as "writ of mandamus forbearing the respondents from running MAPS (Units I and II), Kalpakkam, Kanchipuram District without first implementing NPCIL Task Force report of March, 2011, and AERB Committee report of August, 2011, and obtaining Environment Clearance with regard to MAPS in accordance with law".

(3.) THE petitioner would further state that on 26.3.1999, there was a heavy water leakage in MAPS and seven people received a high degree of radiation dose and in this regard, an article was also published in "Frontline" a fortnight edition in English, and two more incidents also took place in the year 2001 and 2002 respectively, wherein, a worker suffered internal contamination after a neoprene glove was punctured, and the left hand of one Selvakumar, worker, was also burnt while he picked up a radioactive substance, and during January, 2003, also, five workers had exposed to high levels of radiation.