Kakrapar Atomic Power Station under scanner for radiation
Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Tapi district of Gujarat has come under the scanner of regulator Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for a 'minor incident' of radiation exposure to four workers in May this year.
"Four contract workers sustained minor exposure to radiation on May 30, while they were doing some house keeping job. Due to some reason the spent fuel got released, which was not supposed to be discharged till the time house keeping job was on," KAPS Additional General Manager HR Sujaya Kajur said.
"The trolley, in which, they were working was near the path from where spent fuel is discharged, due to which, four persons got some exposure to radiation, which was well within the permissible limits," he said.
"Our medical staff had checked them and there was no problem with them as such. We had instructed our hospital that if they want to undergo any investigation it has to be done, but none of them turned up," Kajur said.
The KAPS is a nuclear power station, has two 220 MW pressurised heavy water reactors.
"The incident was brought to the notice of regulator AERB and the concerned international agency. Whatever corrective steps were to be taken, so that such an incident doesn't gets repeated in future has also been taken," he said.
"But, taking advantage of it, the workers, who were on contract, began demanding regularisation and went and met the district authorities and also reported about the incident by July end," Kajur said.
However, district collector Tapi R.H. Patel, on receiving a complaint of radiation exposure to workers in the KAPS has sent a team under sub-divisional magistrate to enquire about the incident.
"A delegation of workers from KAPS have told me that 5-7 days ago some incident has taken place at the atomic power station to which the management was paying attention," District Collector Tapi R.H. Patel said.
"Taking note of it I have sent a team under sub divisional magistrate to enquire about the incident," he said.
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