Madurai: Stepping up their protest against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), spearheading the stir, laid siege to the sea at about 500 meters away from the KNPP on Monday.

Fishers, farmers, traders and volunteers of various political parties from Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts are participating in the protest, a PMANE source said today.

Heavy police force has been deployed at various places to prevent any untoward situation, police said.

The anti-nuclear protesters onboard around 500 boats had on September 22 laid siege to the Tuticorin port against loading of uranium in the atomic power plant.

The protesters along with fisherfolk also staged a ‘Jal Satyagraha’ in the sea at Koothakuzhi, 10 km from Kudankulam, by forming a human chain.

The first unit was scheduled to be commissioned in December last year but had been delayed due to protests by locals on safety concerns.