Anti-nuke protesters stand in sea for second day

Hundreds of anti-nuclear protesters forming a human chain

stood in sea waters for the second day today demanding halting of preparations

for fuel loading into the nuclear reactor here.Women and men would stand in the sea waters for two hours in

turns, Pushparayan, leader of the Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy,

spearheading the year-long agitation, told reporters here.Police here said Satishkumar, a close associate of S P

Udayakumar, Convenor of PMANE, was arrested in Chennai today for trying to

"instigate" the fishermen there to join the stir against Koodankulam

Nuclear Power Project (KNPP).Search for Udayakumar, who had announced that he would

surrender on Tuesday night, but later did a U-turn, continued, police said.The Coast Guard aircraft and ships maintained surveillance

at sea off nearby Idinthakarai as the villagers stood in waist and neck deep

water.Taking cue from a similar protest demanding land as

compensation and reduction of Omkareshwar Dam recently by villagers of Khandwa

district in Madhya Pradesh, PMANE launched 'jal satyagraha' yesterday, marking

a new turn in their agitation, which was intensified after preparations for

fuel loading into the plant was announced.More than 4,000 police personnel, bolstered by Rapid Action

Force, continued to maintain a strict vigil, having almost sealed the entire

Koodankulam town.The Supreme Court had yesterday refused to stay loading of

fuel for the Koodankulam plant but agreed to examine the risk associated to the

project, saying safety of people living in its vicinity is of prime concern.