Sri Lanka today expressed concern over possible impact of radiation from India's nuclear power plants located in the southern region, as it prepares to raise the issue with global atomic watchdog IAEA.
The official raising of concern with the International Atomic Energy is to be made in September, the Power and Energy Minister, Mr Champika Ranawaka, said.
“We respect the right of India to have nuclear power stations. But our concerns are on the possible radiation affects they could have on Sri Lanka. We have already written a letter”, Mr Ranawaka said.
Sri Lankan energy officials say at least three nuclear plants are located on the southern coast of Tamil Nadu which is separated from the island by a narrow strip of sea. The Minister said the IAEA had proposed that a mutual agreement on the matter should be reached between the two countries. “We have sent a proposal to India through the External Affairs Ministry and the Indians have sent back a note on the matter,” he was quoted as saying by Colombo Page.
According to Mr Ranawaka, the Indian government has sent a proposal to commence a broad-based discussion while Sri Lanka wants only to discuss and reach an agreement on a disaster mitigating programme in the event of a nuclear disaster in the South Indian plants, the paper said. Sri Lanka has no nuclear power plants but is just 20 kilometres away from Indian main land at the closest point.
Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu is just 250 km from Sri Lanka's north-west coastal town of Mannar.