By IANS,
Tokyo : The Japanese military Thursday began using helicopters to dump water on a damaged nuclear reactor after the Fukushima nuclear plant’s power operator failed to cool it down.
The Japan Self-Defence Force (SDF) dumped water on the damaged No.3 reactor after the operator – the Tokyo Electric Power Co. – failed in its efforts, Xinhua reported.
The plan had been originally shelved as it was thought to be too dangerous because of the high levels of radiation, but following the rising heat of the reactor the government decided that water dropping by helicopters would be the best way to deal with it.
The helicopters deployed by the force can carry up to 7.5 tonnes of water.
A Tokyo police unit is also using a water cannon truck to cool down a spent fuel rod pool at the No.4 reactor at the quake-hit nuclear power plant.
After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan March 11, the temperature has been rising in the building that houses the No.4 reactor and its spent fuel storage pool.
The nuclear plant was rocked by a hydrogen explosion Tuesday as well as a fire early Wednesday adding to complications and raising concerns that the fuel rods will melt and release radiation.