Environmental awareness - a spinoff success of public awareness outreach around Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project

The significance of public awareness (PA) programme at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) was well recognised since the inception stage itself and several PA programme were organised around Kudankulam through different means of communication. In its chequered progress, the Kudankulam project has seen ups and downs from the initial stage and in the year 2011, the site witnessed an impasse due to public interest and concerns on nuclear projects. Subsequently PA programmes were taken up on a war footing with persistent efforts, public fear on nuclear energy and safety concerns were allayed among local public in the villages in and around Kudankulam and also far and wide in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This paper discusses the various measures initiated to disseminate the right information and educating public on nuclear energy as a clean energy option for environmental safety. In addition, it is a requirement of the country in the face of impending climate change concerns and warming of the earth's surface