Industry & Economy
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Natural Calamities
`Design saves Koodankulam from tsunami'
Our Correspondent
Madurai
,
Jan. 12
THE Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, coming up on the coast of the Tirunelveli district, has not been affected by the December 26 tsunami devastation, according to the Project Director, Mr S.K. Agrawal.
The project is coming up in an elevated area and the design of its construction has taken into account natural calamities, including the tsunami, shockwaves generated by any explosion and man-made situations, he said at Tirunelveli.
The ground elevation of the site varies from over 2.50 metres Mean Sea Level (MSL) on the shore to over 28 metres MSL at the entrance.
The maximum high tide and minimum low tide in the region have been estimated between plus 0.84-metre and minus 0.31-metre MSL.
While the tsunami has been estimated at plus 5.44 metre above sea level, the site has been designed at 7.50-metre MSL. Building and other structures have been located at grade levels varying from plus 7.65-metre to 13-metre SML.
A lot of soil filling has been carried out to establish the minimum grade level.
To cover the main plant area, a shoreline protection structure at plus 8-metre taller than the MSL, covering 1.50 km along the coast has been completed.
This, in fact, provided the extra protection on that fateful day.
Further, the construction of a breakwater dyke to take care of the cooling of the condenser of the reactors as per the guidelines from the Ministry of Environment and Forest at a distance of 1.20 km from the seashore also saved the day.
A team of specialists from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board from Mumbai had visited the site, he said.
However, hamlets on either side of the project site, suffered heavy damage, the sources added.
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