No alternative water supply at n-plant

CHENNAI: The Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, which has only one source of water supply, will burst if the supply of water was disrupted for four hours, said V T Padmanabhan, a member of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, here.He told reporters KKNPP will require 50 lakh litres of water per day for its operation and the water would be sourced from a desalination plant. For any technical snag  in the desalination plant, engineers would have to fly down from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Mumbai and then to Madurai and from Madurai they would have to reach the plant by road.“If the water supply was disrupted for four hours, the temperature will rise to 3,000 degree Celsius, which will lead to a huge burst. Therefore, alternative water supply arrangement should be made before commissioning the project,” he said and added, “Nuclear Power Corporation India Limited (NPCIL) should ensure the alternative water supply.”Journalist Gnani pressed that Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant should be closed in the first place and the secrets behind the nuclear reactor should be exposed.“How safe is Kalpakkam? What are the steps taken to protect the plant while tsunami hit? An independent committee involving independent scientists should be formed to look into the issues pertaining to Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant before commissioning KKNPP,” Gnani said.Manushyaputhiran, publisher of Uyirmai magazine, said that India on the whole was vulnerable to natural calamities. Therefore, nuclear power itself should be banned.Ramesh, a doctor, pointed out an IAEA report that tells of a volcano located 100 km Southeast of Kalpakkam and adds that surrounding areas will be affected if the volcano erupts.