NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN PAKISTAN?
by B. Raman
It is learnt that the Chinese-supplied Chashma nuclear
power station in Pakistan, which was formally commissioned in
May,2001,coinciding with the observance of the 50th anniversary of the
Sino-Pak diplomatic relations after a trial run of nearly a year, has been
closed down for the last few days.
This has given rise to rumours in Islamabad and Punjab
that there has been an accident in the powser station resulting in
radioactive leakage. However, these rumours have been strongly
refuted by the Pakistani authorities, according to whom, it was a planned
temporary shut-down for periodic maintenance.
"The Frontier Post"
of Peshawar has reported as follows: " Atomic Energy Commission has
refuted claims that the Chashma Power Plant has been closed down in view
of performing further nuclear tests or due to steam leakage and said it
has been closed down only for necessary repairs. According to the
Chashma Power Plant spokesman, all such claims are baseless and
unfounded. The plant has been closed down temporarily for necessary
maintenance and would be reopened shortly after the overhauling of the
plant is complete after which it would then be linked with the National
grid."
No independent evidence has been forthcoming so
far. In this connection, attention is invited to the following
extracts from our paper titled "Sino-Pak Nuclear Co-operation"
of June 8,2000, which is available at www.saag.org/notes2/note101.html
.
"When
China's negotiations with Pakistan started in 1989, there were no
restrictions on the sale of nuclear equipment for peaceful purposes to the
latter, but after the coming into force of the Pressler Amendment in
October, 1990, Washington unsuccessfully pressured Beijing not to go ahead
with the project. The latter contended that since the plant would be
under the IAEA safeguards, there was no bar on its selling it to the PAEC.
"However, under US pressure, Japan,
Germany, France and other Western countries refused to sell any component
to China for use in the plant to be supplied to Pakistan. Hence, the
entire plant, except some minor components made in Pakistan, were
manufactured in China-- some of them like the computerised control system
for the first time-- and assembled in Chashma.
"Since last year, questions have
been raised by some analysts in Pakistan about the safety of this plant,
which is the first attempt by China to manufacture and assemble an entire
nuclear power station without any inputs from Japan and the West in the
form of components and expertise.
The critics have alleged that the site
chosen by the Chinese would be prone to seismic disturbances and that,
despite Japanese and Western inputs, the Qinshan plant already had one
accident, which damaged some of the radioactive fuel in the reactor,
letting it mix with water.
"These allegations have been
strongly refuted by the PAEC, which has contended that CHASNUPP would be
absolutely safe and efficient. However, a PAEC official announced on
January 21 that the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Board had authorised the
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to operate the plant from
criticality till its satisfactory production at full capacity, after which
the responsibility for its operation would be taken over by the PAEC."
(The writer is Additional
Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently,
Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-Mail : corde@vsnl.com
)
