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Monday, Nov 30, 2009
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Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Nov 30, 2009 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs |
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Power Industry & Economy - Power Kaiga plant leak an act of mischief, says AERB team
S. Shanker Rahul Wadke Mumbai, Nov. 29 A team of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, which returned on Sunday to Mumbai after investigating the radiation leak in the Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnataka, has concluded that it was an act of mischief by disgruntled elements within the power station. Over 55 workers of the Kaiga Power Station had to undergo medical treatment after they were exposed to excessive radiation dosage when they drank water from a cooler that had been mixed with tritium, a highly radioactive substance. The issue came to light on November 24 in the routine urinary sampling done to detect radiation levels in the employees. Following the incident, all atomic power plants in the country have been cautioned by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to take precautions against such acts. Mr S.K. Sharma, Chairman, AERB, told Business Line that it appeared that a cooler had been contaminated with tritium through the overflow tube as all coolers at power stations are kept locked. Mr Sharma said small samples of tritium are taken out from the system as a matter of routine for sampling and this had found its way into the cooler. Two employees at the power station are still in hospital with radiation levels higher than the prescribed AERB norms for radiation exposure but below international standards. He said the exposure level of the two employees was above the AERB norms (limit) of 30 milli sievert per annum, but well below the International Commission on Radiological Protection suggested limit of 50 milli sievert. No cause for alarm AERB had enforced stricter norms as a matter of policy and there was absolutely no cause for alarm. Moreover, the radiation dosage had ‘half-life' when it entered the human body due to perspiration and urination. Normally, even without medical attention, a week was sufficient for the human biological system to expel it, he said. SYSTEMS NORMAL Mr S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India, in a statement said Kaiga Unit-1 was under biennial shutdown for routine maintenance since October 20. Unit 2 and 3 were operating normally and Unit 4 was under construction. “The contamination of the water cooler is a matter of concern and the cause is being investigated. All the systems of all the units are healthy and there is no release of radioactivity to the environment within plant site and outside,” he said. Mr N. Nagaich, Chief Engineer (Corporate Planning), NPCIL, said the Kaiga plant is currently generating about 300 MW. The water cooler, which was contaminated with heavy water, had been isolated and the extent of the heavy water contamination in drinking water was less than 100 milli litres. More Stories on : Power | Power | Health
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