Communities in Koodankulam, the site of a proposed nuclear power plant, are confused over source of water for the power plant, especially given the drought like conditions in the last year. A farce of a public hearing organized by the government has not helped.

To
The District Collector
Kanyakumari District
Nagercoil

Dear Sir:

We write with reference to your reported statement on the Koodankulam nuclear power project taking water from the Pechiparai dam published in the evening Tamil daily, Tamil Murasu dated 10/10/2006 on page 8. In this news report, you are said to have claimed so categorically that there is no plan whatsoever to take water from the Pechiparai dam for the Koodankulam project. You also seem to have exhorted the public not to give credence to these "rumours." It is not clear, however, if you said all these in a press meet or in an exclusive interview you gave to this particular newspaper.

In the light of the above situation, may we bring your kind attention to the following pertinent facts please:

[1] The "Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment" for the Koodankulam projects (prepared by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) states very clearly on pages 2.35 and 2.36 (under Chapter 2.3 – Water Environment, Subheading 2.3.2 Water Requirement) : "Fresh water from Pechipparai dam, which is about 65
Kms NW of the project site, is proposed to be used for meeting various water demands. The quantities of fresh water for various purposes are as follows:

Domestic use: 414 m3/day
Service Water: 480 m3/day
Fire Water Make-Up: 500 m3/day
Chemical Water Treatment
(Process Water for proposed 4 units): 19200 m3/day"

The report further states that "For meeting fresh water demands, water from Pechipparai dam will be brought to the site through embedded pipeline." The above breakdown amounts to 20,594 m3 water per day and this much water is used only for four nuclear power plants. If and when all the planned eight power plants start functioning in Koodankulam, some 41,000 m3 water would be required per day.

[2] In a very recent article entitled "The VVERs at KudanKulam" (published in Nuclear Engineering and Design, 236, 2006), Mr. S. K. Agrawal, the former Koodankulam project director and now the director (projects) of NPCIL, and his co-authors state very clearly on page 835: "The requirements of fresh water are very small and will be drawn from the Pechiparai Reservoir. The fresh water requirements will thus not affect the drinking water and agricultural needs of the local population." This article, published
only a few months ago, confirms the Pechiparai water usage detailed in the "Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment."

[3] On December 7, 2004, the Tata Group claimed in an official communique
(http://www.tata. com/tata_ projects/ releases/ 20041207_ epc.htm): "…
Tata Projects has now secured a prestigious EPC contract from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. for the execution of 7680 cu.m. per day seawater desalination plant with an extended O&M period of five years, to be implemented within 20 months at
Kudankulam in coastal Tamil Nadu. This plant will cater to the need of DM and potable water requirement of the 2000 MW Nuclear Power Plant project. This will be the first sea water desalination plant adopting multi-vapour compression (MVC) technology in India. The contract value is over Rs 1000 million."

The small reverse osmosis plant that is set up for domestic use within the Anuvijay Township near Koodankulam should not be confused with the above desalination plant that is meant exclusively for the power plants. It is a known fact that the above desalination project has not even been started yet. And that means the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) authorities are scheming to take Pechiparai water for the ongoing Koodankulam nuclear power plants.

[4] If the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) authorities have really decided against taking Pechiparai water for the Koodankulam plants, they should prepare a new EIA that details the fresh water sources for the Koodankulam plants. The authorities should not present the outdated EIA as an official document to conduct the upcoming public hearings.

[5] It is also quite pertinent to point out that there was a crop failure in some parts of Kanyakumari district during 2004-05 and the affected farmers were given a drought relief compensation of Rs. 10 per one cent land. When there is not sufficient water to meet the
needs of the farmers at times, we can hardly afford to give water to the nuclear power plants. The Pechiparai dam that was constructed in 1906 has been getting silted slowly and a fresh `capacity survey' has to be commissioned before we even think about using the water for non-agricultural purposes.

Given this situation of contradictory claims and confusing stands of the nuclear authorities, we are not sure how you claim so categorically that Pechiparai water would not be taken to Koodankulam. If you are in possession of any material evidence or
concrete undertaking from the nuclear authorities to that effect, would you be kind enough to share those with us. In the absence of any of which, it is only fair on your part to retract your statement and not to dismiss our genuine concerns as "rumours."

With best regards and all peaceful wishes,

Sincerely,

Dr. R. S. Lal Mohan, Conservation of Nature Trust
T. Peter Dhas, Tamil Nadu Fish Workers Union
Adv. Maria Stephen, Najilla Velanmai Vivasayigal Sangam
N. Paramani Dhas, Anandhan River Farmers' Association
K. Padmadhas, Bhoomi Padukappu Sangams' Federation
Dr. S. P. Udayakumar, People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy