Impact of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant

Image: Location of Rooppur Neuclear Power Plant

Rooppur is my current living area. It is one of Bangladesh's most beautiful villages, with green fields and many trees and plants. A large nuclear power plant is being built here, called ”Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant”. The Rooppur Power Plant will be a 2.4 GWe nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. The power plant is being constructed at the Rooppur site in the Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna District, on the bank of river Padma. It is about 140-160 km west of Dhaka and in the northwest of the country. This plant will be the country’s first nuclear power plant; a location map is available.

Historical Background:

In 1961, a nuclear power plant was first proposed in the west of Bangladesh.  In 1963, this power plant was approved.  After independence in 1972-75, the then Prime Minister of independent Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, took the initiative to build a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 200MW. Still, the construction was postponed due to some difficulties.  On 13 May 2009, An MOU was signed between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and ROSATOM, the State Atomic Energy Commission, and the Russian Federation.  On 21 May 2010, Bangladesh and the Russian Federation signed A framework agreement on cooperation in using Nuclear Energy for peaceful purposes.  On 2 November 2011, the inter-government agreement (IGA) was officially signed.  On 20 October 2013, the honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, laid the foundation stone of the first nuclear power plant of Bangladesh.  JSC Atomstroyexport and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) signed the first contract on the feasibility information, site engineering survey and environmental studies, and impact assessment of Rooppur NPP on 27 June 2013. They signed the second contract to develop the design documentation, first priority working documentation, and necessary Engineering survey for Rooppur NPP on 2 October 2013.  In November 2017, construction of the first unit of RNPP was commenced, with commissioning due in 2023. The second unit construction of RNPP commenced in July 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2024. Each unit is expected to have a capacity of 1200 MW. Initially, many exchange meetings were held with the local people at different times. There are many ways to convince them that this project will not have any effect - with this assurance, they are somehow persuaded. As much land was allotted for this project, it was extended by occupying the river Padma's Char. In return, the farmers are given mere money. There was a playground called "Padma Taranga" on this immense land. In the afternoon, boys' football and cricket matches could be seen. Many older people used to come here in the morning to exercise. There was also a mosque on this land, which was later evicted for project implementation. Again, there were many cemeteries here; these were also demolished, which hurt people's emotions.

The Chronological Pattern of Rooppur:

On the topic of’ ‘Housing condition and changes in my area’ I had a conversation with one of the eldest people in my neighborhood named Abdul Majid. He has lived in this village since his birth. From the conversation, I have got the overall picture of housing evolution at my village, Rooppur, the summary is presented here: According to his commentary, the Rooppur atomic power plant was supposed to be built in 1961 during Pakistani President Ayub Khan's rule. The land here was 254 acres, and an entire area was settled there. However, in 1964, the growing population relocated to another place for the implementation of the power plant project. Now, it is known as Notun Rooppur. The project was then postponed due to various problems. For about 52 years, from 1964 to 2016, the local people cultivated the fallow land by collecting government rent. For these 52 years, this vast land has grown as natural grazing land. Various fruits and crops were cultivated here. The locals used to produce pulses, wheat, sesame, onion, garlic, sugarcane, papaya, banana, etc., through paying an annual rent. Various animals and birds, such as Fox, Baghdasa, Beji, Heron, bulbul, sparrow, Doyel, cuckoo, etc., became the roaming centers during this period. This Rooppur was very rich in natural aspects. Gentle, cool air was blowing in this area almost all the time. The residents of Ruppur could then breathe in relief, and they did not have any physical problems like colds, coughs, asthma, etc. Although the government has implemented this project with immense interest, considering the local people living here, their interests are mostly hampered.

The negative impact of this nuclear power plant:

The construction work on this project is ongoing, and the locals are facing various problems.

 Heavy work, such as piling and hammering, is being carried out here, which has caused extensive cracks in nearby houses.

Although not an earthquake, houses in the area are constantly being shaken for this project.

Now, the fruits are not growing satisfactorily in this area. Many trees, including coconut trees, are dying, the size of the fruit is getting smaller, and insects are seen in the fruits. These things are incredibly damaging to this area.

1. The locals face a lot of dust due to the project's impact.

2. Due to dust, the villagers suffer from many health problems, such as colds, coughs, and asthma.

3. At the same time, strong winds are filling houses and furniture with dust, making it more complicated to keep clean.

4. So it turns out that this project has become much riskier for the environment and health risks.

5. In this situation, the locals think they must leave this area soon. They are being forced to make this decision to save themselves.

6. Many wealthy people in this area have made difficult decisions, such as changing their homes, and many are taking.

The local people now realize that such a large project is not desirable in such a densely populated area. As a result, they are severely disrupted mentally, physically, and naturally. *According to Abdul Majid, the government should not have carried out the nuclear project in a densely populated area. Bangladesh has many large areas, far away from the locality, where it was reasonable to implement this project. Thus, while this mega project can make a national milestone contribution, it negatively impacts the residents of Ruppur when viewed locally. Due to the loss of naturalness day by day, the locals' identity is under constant threat. So, I think if this large-scale nuclear project had been implemented in a place far from the locality, it would have been in the national interest and local interest at large

Meet The Author

Mahmuda Yasmin Dola

B. Arch, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh Architect | Analytical Practitioner

Head of Construction, ADORA Studios, Bangladesh

CMO & Head of Construction, SS Construction & Power Solution, Bangladesh

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