India nuclear plant leaks!!

[pkd]

Nuclear panic at Kaiga

Mangalore / Delhi: Residents of Karwar spent a sleepless Friday night after 40 maintenance personnel from the Kaiga nuclear plant were admitted to hospital with 'symptoms' of radioactive poisoning.

The 40 people, who were working at unit 1, were rushed to the Kaiga nuclear corporation hospital. The hospital authorities have denied the reports of radioactive poisoning and said all the 40 staff members were discharged immediately.

Senior members of the Delhi-based National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), who are monitoring the situation, said there was no reason to panic."We have spoken to our colleagues at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and there is no need to worry. Our nuclear reactors are very safe," said B Bhattacharjee, a nuclear scientist at NDMA.

Bhattacharjee said there was no leak at the nuclear plant. Sources said the employees working at unit 1 were found with high radiation levels in their body after they drank water from a water cooler in the operational area. It was later found that the water cooler was situated inside the plant on the operating island of KAPS-I. Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is said to be the cause of the contamination, the sources said.

When the employees had to undergo a urine examination, which is manadatory for people working at the site, high tritium levels were detected. They were admitted to hospital and were treated.

 

[Spring Onion]

Breaking News:

Radiation exposure at Karnataka N-plant was deliberate: Kakodkar
PTI 29 November 2009, 12:35pm ISTText Size:|



MUMBAI/KAIGA: In a case of sabotage, Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar on Sunday said somebody "deliberately" put radioactive tritium in a water cooler at the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant that exposed about 50 workers to increased level of radiation.

People involved will be punished under the Atomic Energy and other acts after investigation, he said. "Somebody deliberately put the tritiated water vials into a drinking water cooler. Therefore, we are investigating who is behind the malevolent act," he said in Mumbai.

About 45 to 50 employees working in the first maintenance unit of the Kaiga plant in Uttara Kannada district were treated at the plant hospital in Mallapur for increased level of tritium after they drank water from a cooler in the operating area on November 24, official sources said.

Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators.

The plant's Station Director J P Gupta said from Kaiga that investigations have revealed that one of the water coolers was found to be contaminated and as a precautionary measure, body samples of all the persons working in the area were analysed and based on those results, a few were sent for medical consultation. All the persons are on their normal duty now, he said.

Kakodkar said, "The investigations are being carried out from two angles. First to ascertain as to who contaminated the water cooler with tritiated heavy water, and the second, from the radiation protection angle."

B Bhattacharjee, member, National Disaster Management Authority, said, "The cooler is supposed to be sealed and it was found to be sealed only.

But later on, the investigators found that through the drainage--the overflow line of the cooler, it seems some mischief monger inserted some tritiated water and contaminated the whole cooler. And people have consumed that (water)," he said, noting that "everything is normal. There is nothing serious."

Bhattacharjee said, "As soon as it was detected, they did a routine sampling. They gave some diuretics to all. Out of 55, 53 have been cleared."

Kakodkar said normally, it is a practice to test small amounts of tritiated heavy water for chemical parameters from different locations of the reactors.

The AEC chairman said the heavy water in all the pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) routinely goes for assessment of chemical parameters and during that process small samples are taken from different locations of the reactor to carry out analysis.

"It is a regular practice and while doing that the tritiated heavy water is carried in small vials to chemical labs within the premises to carry out analysis, and all these vials are sent back to the reactor when the analysis is over", he said.

Kakodkar also said, "We also check all the radiation workers with termoluminiscent dosimetry (TMD). So, we know the inventory and in the process of monitoring the dosimetry we found that some workers had tritiated water content in their body. They are being treated and are normal now," he said.

Kakodkar said, "No harm is expected as the regulatory limits are very stringent. There is plenty of margin between the permissible exposure level and exposure level when it causes same harm," he said.

A few years ago, a similar malevolent act was observed in Tarapur atomic power sub-station and the culprits were dismissed after investigations by the Department of Atomic Energy. Uttara Kannada district superintendent of police, Raman Gupta, said that the police have offered their assistance in the investigation at the Kaiga plant.

"We are taking it seriously as public interest is involved. We are waiting for the nod of Kaiga authorities for investigation", Gupta said.

Authorities at Kaiga plant, a high security area, have told the police that an internal investigation is on. The contents of the water in the cooler are being investigated.

Uttara Kannada district commissioner Channappa Gouda said the affected employees are recovering. He said there was no radiation leakage in the plant. The experts' team is investigating on how the water in the cooler contained nuclear radiation, he said.


Radiation exposure at Karnataka N-plant was deliberate: Kakodkar - India - The Times of India

 

[Imran Khan]

please now don't blame ISI for this mess.

 

[GLOBAL HAWK]

OMG 3 H 1 in potable water!!!

 

[Chanakyaa]

Planes are Hijacked - 9/11 - How safe are US Air Flights ?
Some school guy takes Pistols and Shoots - How safe are US Schools ?
Bombs in UK - How safe are UK streets ?

Well.. The list is endless.
Deliberate actions can NOT be evry time checked upon.
Yes, It was very unfortunate but instead of Tritium had it been KCN ( Cynide ) The result would have been more severe.

NO Nuclear Reactor in the World can avoid something like this.
If any scientist or worker thinks bad .. you dont have any equipment to check his mind.

Maam, Since its a Deliberate Human Err , and NOT technical or Related to any Functionality of the Rector Your Qs. is Not Valid.
In covert operations, radioactive Poisons are used to kill, is it a Nuclear Disaster ? No.
This case is similar to this. There was NO LEAK of Tritium.

Indian Reactors are very Safe - Under Technical and Operational Parameters.
But its an extremely sad and unfortunate event and a serious one.
Must be seriously dealt with.

The notable thing is In India we have Open Press. Time n again i say this.
Im NOT talking abt India TV and Its BS News. But There are some Good Ones lIke NDTV and TIMESNOW.
But when Indian Media says Agaisnt some "rather favored elements-like terrorists" they are critised as poor media..giving false..staged info.. but when they report abt this kind of incident Its used to ask Questions.
Why Do These Questions Wake up ONLY IN NON INDIAN INTERESTS?
Why is Indian Media NOT Credited to Report ALL - Good n Bad News ?
Why is ANTI-OTHER NATION News is taken to be ALWAYS False and "conspiracy" ?

Why should we have Two ways of considering the Indian Media?

 

[pkd]

Radiation leak at Kaiga nuke plant leave employees sick



A radiation leak at the Kaiga Nuclear Plant in Karnataka's north Kannada district has left 55 employees in the maintenance unit falling sick in the suspected radiation poisoning.



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.



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.

M.R.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 will 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.


Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar has called it a case of radiation overexposure.



Nuclear experts have not ruled out the possibility pf sabotage behind this leak.

Radiation leak at Kaiga nuke plant leave employees sick

 

[pkd]

Radiation leak in Kaiga could be sabotage, probe ordered

The radiation leakage in the state-run Kaiga atomic power plant in Karnataka could be an act of sabotage, a top official said on Sunday. A probe has been ordered into the incident by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

"Preliminary enquiry does not reveal any violation of operating procedures or radioactivity releases or security breach. It is possibly an act of mischief," NPCIL Chairman and Managing Director SK Jain said in a statement.

He said radioactive contamination of the water cooler located outside the reactor building is "a matter of concern and the cause (of the leakage) is being investigated".

Since the incident was detected five days ago, the water cooler - which was identified as the source of radiation leakage - has been isolated and put out of service, Jain said.

In New Delhi, Minister of Science & Technology Prithviraj Chavan confirmed the "sabotage" at the nuclear plant and said a high-level probe has been ordered.

"It could be the handiwork of a disgruntled employee and we are awaiting the results of the inquiry," Chavan told journalists.

Jain pointed out that Unit 1 of Kaiga has been shut down for annual maintenance since Oct 20. Meanwhile Units 2 and 3 continue to be operational even as Unit 4 is under construction.

"All the systems of all the units are healthy and there is no release of radioactivity to the environment within the plant site and outside," he pointed out.
Radiation leak in Kaiga could be sabotage, probe ordered- Hindustan Times

 

[Spring Onion]

XiNiX its not the first time. Kaiga nuclear plant had been having problems in the past too

 

[NSG_BlackCats]

As per Minister of state for Science, this is not an accident. It was done by someone from inside the plant. Investigations are on. 55 employees are admitted to hospital. All are discharged now.

 

[MZUBAIR]

please now don't blame ISI for this mess.

lolz.......

 

[MZUBAIR]

As per Minister of state for Science, this is not an accident. It was done by someone from inside the plant. Investigations are on. 55 employees are admitted to hospital. All are discharged now.

So, it means that Indian nukes are not safe.........some one can do any thing....
If its true then Its an alarming news. Indian nukes are not safe.

 

[beckham]

As per Minister of state for Science, this is not an accident. It was done by someone from inside the plant. Investigations are on. 55 employees are admitted to hospital. All are discharged now.

Good to hear that no one is harmed seriously !

 

[Spring Onion]

India nuclear plant leak under investigation
Indian officials are investigating the leak of a radioactive substance into drinking water at an atomic power plant in the south of the country

Fifty-five workers at the Kaiga plant needed medical treatment for excessive exposure to radiation after tritium contaminated a water cooler.

Officials said the leak might have been deliberate.

"Mischief is not ruled out. Investigations are on," plant director J P Gupta told Reuters news agency.

The 55 workers had returned to their duties at the plant, Mr Gupta added.

"This incident has in no way affected the public, safety, health and environment."

The highly protected Kaiga plant is on the west coast of India, 450km (280 miles) from Bangalore.

Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators

BBC

 

[haawk]

why are you guys posting the same news again and again......

 

[Spring Onion]

Good to hear that no one is harmed seriously !

The bad news is that why some insider in the nuclear plant did that