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NPCL told to review radiation level, security at nuke plants | Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Singh Chavan announced here on Thursday that radiation levels and security measures of all nuclear power stations in the country will be reviewed in the wake of the Kaiga plant sabotage. Making
a statement over the alleged nuclear leakage at the Kaiga Atomic Power plant in
the Lok Sabha, Chavan said: "The Nuclear Power Corporation Limited has ordered
for the review of radiation levels and security measures of all its plant in the
country." In his statement Chavan clearly ruled out any breach of security on
the plant's premises. "All the plants are functioning normally, there is no harm
to the environment or to public health. And strictly, there is no breach of security.
It is clearly an act of insiders," he said. Chavan also informed the House " The
NPCL has constituted a committee headed by its Chief Manager to go into the entire
episode. As per the interim report a small unit of tritium has been deliberately
included into the water cooler near the service station." Tritium is a heavier
form of hydrogen and is radioactive. Small samples of heavy water are drawn daily
from the reactor to check its purity. "The NPCL has sough the assistance of both
the local as well the Central intelligence agencies, the investigators are going
through the details of the log books, close circuit television (CCTV) footages
and water samples are being examined," he said. "An FIR has been filed at the
Mallapur Police Station" and Chavan said: "A strict action will be taken against
the culprits." He informed the House that the matter came to light during the
routine health examination of the plant employees. Chavan said: "Out of over 800
employees of the plant 92 people showed the presence of tritium in their body,
in which only two people showed the radiation limit slightly above the prescribed
level of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). No one is hospitalised." Earlier,
a few years ago, in a similar incident at the Tarapur Atomic Energy Plant, an
employee was found to have deliberately hidden a tiny bottle containing minute
quantities of highly radioactive waste in a chair cushion, three people who later
sat on the chair were exposed to low levels of radiation as a result. |
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