Radiation poisoning in Kaiga nuclear plant: 55 fall sick; It's an act of a disgruntled employee, says Kakodkar - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar on Sunday said the leakage at the Kaiga nuclear plant here, which left 55 persons sick with radioactive poisoning, appears to have been a malevolent act of a disgruntled employee. Kakodkar said the reactor was now functioning normally and there was no leakage anywhere. He said someone had put a chemical - tritium - into a water cooler, and preliminary investigations pointed to it being a malevolent act. Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan endorsed Kakodar's assessment, saying the matter is being looked into by an inquiry committee, adding that prima facie it appeared to be the handiwork of a disgruntled employee. The sick employees are being treated for increased level of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen in their bodies, after they drank water from a water cooler in the operations area on Tuesday (November 24). Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators. In a urine examination of the employees, which is done everyday, it was found that the tritium level was more than the normal level. The employees are receiving treatment at the plant hospital in Mallapur. Kakodkar has called it a case of radiation overexposure. Nuclear experts have not ruled out the possibility of sabotage behind this leak. MR Srinivasan, former Atomic Energy Commission chairman, said the victims were from various departments, and therefore, steps should be taken to restrict entry to sensitive areas of the plant in the future. Srinivasan said that the Atomic Regulatory Authority would conduct an enquiry into the leak. B Bhattacharjee of the National Disaster Management said that apart from the 55 in hospital, the rest of staff was safe. The contents of the water in the cooler are being investigated and the lapse is being seriously viewed. Meanwhile, Karwar District Police clarified that no report has been registered over the incident. Karwar Superintendent of Police Raman Gupta said: “The Nuclear Power Corporation authorities have not requested the local police to involve in the investigations and no report was filed with the police. “If they contact us, then we will initiate the investigation,” he added. “The local police are not capable of handling the issues like radiation, I think the scientists will investigate first,” Gupta said. District Commissioner Chhannappa Gowda informed that only one person was tested for high level of radioactive reactions and all the others were at normal level. He also clarified that no one was hospitalised in the incident and were treated at out-patient department in Mallapur Hospital.