AlHijjah 17, 1434, Oct 22, 2013, SPA -- A nuclear power plant in southern India began generating electricity Tuesday after years of protests over safety concerns, news reports said, according to dpa. The first of the Kudankulam plant's two reactors was connected to the southern grid, the IANS news agency reported. Protests by villagers and fishermen over safety concerns gained momentum after a Japanese nuclear disaster in March 2011. But the Supreme Court in May dismissed several petitions seeking to halt the commissioning of the plant, ruling in favour of agencies that approved the safety measures. The state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited operates 20 atomic reactors in the country, which generate 4,780 megawatts of electricity, just over 3 per cent of national consumption. The Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu state is expected to add 1,000 megawatts when it is in full operation.