The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, as part of the World Environment Day celebrations, released a book titled ‘Butterflies of Kudankulam’ on Monday.
This packet-size publication that has been published under the Environment Stewardship Programme of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) in which KKNPP is also constituent, features 42 species of butterflies that are found in and around KKNPP site.
Speaking on the occasion, Site Director, KKNPP, R.S. Sundar said the World Environment Day, which was initiated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, was being celebrated on June 5 every year to highlight the importance of conserving nature.
With ‘Go Wild For Life’ as this year's theme, the global body had requested everyone to spread a word about the protection of wildlife.
“The KKNPP that produces electricity in an environmentally benign way through nuclear technology has been celebrating the World Environment Day every year to raise awareness of the importance of protecting environment by involving everyone here so as to create awareness among the population working at KKNPP site and also living in Anu Vijay Township, Chettikulam,” Mr. Sundar said.
The KKNPP staff and students from Kudankulam Government Higher Secondary school planted 200 trees in its township and also at project site.
In the programme organised at Anu Vijay Township, the employees, their family members, officials of Environment Survey Laboratory and students and staff of Atomic Energy Central School planted about 50 saplings in the AECS school area. Subsequently, a mass plantation of about 105 tree saplings by the students and staff of Government Higher Secondary School, Kudankulam was organised at KKNPP Units 1 and 2. Another 50 trees were planted along the site selected for constructing KKNPP’s 3rd and 4th reactors.
“In last one decade KKNPP has developed a lush green cover as part of its greenbelt programme and hence the plant site now houses about 28,000 trees of different sizes while its township has about 16,000 trees,” Mr. Sundar noted.
P. A. Pillai, Project Director, KKNPP 3 and 4, Jayakrishnan, Chief Construction Engineer, G. Ashok, Chief Engineer, M. S. Suresh, Chief Engineer and D. Thanasekaran, Additional General Manager (HR) and Environment Survey Laboratory (ESL) officials were present.
