Leak at Kakrapar N-plant in Gujarat moderately large, may be continuing, apprehends top nuclear expert

By A Representative
Dr A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has accused Government of India's three arms handling nuclear energy – Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) , Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and AERB – of “total lack of transparency”, allowing experts to conjecture what might have happened at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant, which “leaked” on March 11.
“Public have a need to know and, therefore, the AEC and its sub-ordinate organizations need to promptly release status reports on the progressing safety incident which could affect their lives, to alleviate their concerns and anxieties”, the top nuclear scientist says.
He adds, “It is a series of such lapses in communication over the years which has built up the ever-increasing trust deficit in the DAE system among the general public.”
Insisting that “all future plans for expanding the civilian nuclear power sector should be put on hold until a truly independent nuclear safety regulator is put in place”, Gopalakrishnan says, the AEC and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) should be singularly “answerable to the public on all civilian nuclear power matters.”
Writing on the Kakrapar Unit-1 PHWR Primary System Leakage Incident on March 11, 2016 on a well-known anti-nuclear campaign portal, dianuke.org, Gopalakrishnan said, “The Kakrapar Unit-I nuclear reactor in Gujarat is undergoing a moderately large leakage of heavy water from its Primary Heat Transport (PHT) system since 9.00 AM on March 11, 2016.”
Yet, he adds, “Till 7.00 pm on March 12, 2016, the DAE officials had no clue as to where exactly the PHT leak is located and how big is the rate of irradiated heavy water that is leaking into the reactor containment.”
Referring to reports that the containment has been vented to the atmosphere at least once, the top nuclear expert says, “I suspect this indicates a tendency for pressure build up in that closed space due to release of hot heavy water and steam into the containment housing.”
“If this is true”, Gopalakrishnan says, “The leak is not small, but moderately large, and is still continuing.”
In fact, according to him, “No one confirms that any one has entered the containment (in protective clothing) for a quick physical assessment of the situation”, which suggests that “perhaps it is not safe to do so because of the high radiation fields inside.”
“When NPCIL officials state that the reactor cooling is maintained, I believe what they may be doing is to allow the heavy water or light water stored in the emergency cooling tanks to run once through the system and continue to pour through the leak into the containment floor through the break”, says Gopalakrishnan.
“All this points to the likelihood that what Kakrapar Unit-1 is undergoing is a small Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) in progress. It is most likely that one or more pressure tubes (PT) in the reactor (which contain the fuel bundles) have cracked open, leaking hot primary system heavy-water coolant into the containment housing”, he further says.
“The reactor cooling is said to be maintained which, in view of the PT breach, can only be by supply of heavy water or light water from the storage tanks of the emergency cooling systems. While it may perhaps ensure bulk coolant temperatures in the PHT system to be well under control, it could still mean fuel centreline temperatures in the channel which may have a breach could be quite high”, Gopalakrishhnan apprehends.

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog