June 15, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 14: The Indus River System Authority will ask the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to remodel the Chashma-link canal to lift 882 cusecs of water for its proposed second power plant, Irsa sources told Dawn.

The second powerplant of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (Chashnupp), with a production capacity of 300 megawatts, is to be commissioned in 2010 that would enhance its total capacity to 600-MW.

The government has allocated Rs150 million in the new fiscal year’s public sector development programme (PSDP) to start physical work on the project.

The sources said Chashnupp had written to Irsa for seeking an assurance that it would be supplied 882 cusecs of water from the Chashma link canal, which would be used as coolant for the plant.

The sources said Irsa would also ask the Chashnupp management to guarantee that the effluent from the nuclear reactor would not pose an environmental hazard.

The Chashnupp is working under strict security standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its track record on such issues has been acknowledged internationally.

However, as a water regulator, Irsa wanted to be reassured that sufficient measures would be taken to safeguard water meant for irrigation, Irsa sources said.

Irsa also wanted Chashnupp to bear the cost of remodelling the canal, which was requ-ired to divert 882 cusecs of water towards the power plant.

A formal response on Chashnupp’s request would be sent by Irsa next week.

It was in the process of doing calculations as to how much enhancement of the canal’s capacity was necessary to fulfil Chashnupp’s requirement.

Chashnupp is currently getting 882 cusecs of water from the Chashma canal using it as coolant for its first plant. The water used in the plant flows back to the canal.