Radiation exposure a "malevolent" act, says Kakodkar; Probe on

Mumbai/Kaiga, Nov 29 (PTI) In a shocking incident of
sabotage, India's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Sunday said
radioactive tritium was "deliberately" put in a water cooler
at the high-security Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant, exposing about
50 workers to increased level of radiation.

"Somebody deliberately put the tritiated water vials into
a drinking water cooler. Therefore, we are investigating who
is behind the malevolent act," AEC Chairman Anil Kakodkar told
PTI in Mumbai.
Describing the incident as a serious operating procedure
lapse, he said people involved will be punished under the
Atomic Energy and other acts after investigation.
In New Delhi, India's Minister of State for Atomic Energy
Prithviraj Chavan said an inquiry is already in progress. It
has to be seen whether it was an act of a "disgruntled"
individual, he said, noting, "We will find answers soon."
About 45 to 50 employees working in the first maintenance
unit of the Kaiga plant in Uttara Kannada district in south
India 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 told PTI on phone
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.
He said Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited has
launched a probe by an experts committee and the incident has
also been reported to the intelligence department. (More) PTI
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