Water worry for N-power project

Front PageSunday, August 15, 2010
Padma shifts 1,000 feet away from Rooppur site in four decades

A marshy road through Rooppur nuke power project site in Pabna. The Padma was close to the site when the project field was acquired in the 60s. The river has now moved so far away that experts worry about the supply of water to cool the project's atomic reactors. The photo was taken recently.Photo: STARAhmed Humayun Kabir Topu, Pabna

The declining water level of the Padma has become a cause of concern about availability of required water for the proposed Rooppur nuclear power plant.

Water is essential for a nuclear power plant for cooling its atomic reactors, experts say.

The 40-year old Rooppur project finally got a shot in the arm last month through an agreement with Russia.

A high official of the Atomic Energy Commission pointed out that when the project site was selected at Rooppur beside the Padma in 1960s, the river had adequate flow of water.

But a survey conducted by the commission shows that the once mighty river has become narrower with its water flow alarmingly decreasing in the last four decades. The course of the river has also moved far from the project site, jeopardising the original plan for cooling the atomic reactors.

This prompted the commission to launch another survey to find a suitable point in the Padma for collecting water.

A key official of the nuclear power project, requesting anonymity, said, they are now looking for a point in the river that can meet the requirement of water for the plant's cooling system for the next 100 years.

In the sixties, when the government acquired 256 acres of land by the Padma for this project, part of the land was under the river water. But now the main channel of the river has moved at least one thousand feet away from the project site, KBM Ruhul Kuddus, the official in charge of the project, told this correspondent when he visited the site recently.

Besides, an official of hydrology wing of Water Development Board (WDB) in Pabna, noted that flow of water in the Padma varied sharply at different periods in a year. During August-September period, water flow stands at 6-7 lakh cusec but during March-April, the flow comes down to less than 30,000 cusec at the same point.

Asked about this, Kabibur Rahman, WDB executive engineer at Pabna,

Said, “If the (proposed) Padma Barrage is built, adequate water will be available in the river throughout the year.”

Meanwhile, the WDB conducted a study of ground water level at the Rooppur project site during January to March this year. And its hydrology wing has installed a 'Pyso-meter' at the site to monitor the ground water level every day.

Bangladesh signed a framework agreement with Russia last month seeking cooperation in "design, construction and operation of nuclear power and research reactors, nuclear fuel supply, taking back the spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste management, personnel training and capacity building for operation and maintenance of the plant, research, education and training of personnel in the Russian Federation in the field of the use of nuclear energy, development of innovative reactor technologies, and exploration and mining of uranium and thorium deposits".

The final agreement in this regard is likely in September.