FLASH | Sunday, November 29, 2009 | Email | Print | 
Radiation contamination of water cooler act of mischief: NPCIL
PTI | Mumbai/Kaiga
Preliminary probe into the radiation contamination of a water cooler in Kaiga nuclear power plant has shown it was "possibly an act of mischief" and does not reveal any violation of operating procedures, leak or security breach, a top official said on Sunday.
"It is possibly an act of mischief. The related agencies are investigating," S K Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), which operates the plant in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, said.
Describing contamination of water cooler as a matter of concern, he said in a statement here that it was being investigated.
Unit 1 at Kaiga continues to be under annual maintenance shut down since October 20. Unit 2 and 3 are operating normally. 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," Jain said.
NPCIL has launched a probe by an expert committee to find out how a drinking water cooler in the high-security Kaiga plant was contaminated with tritium that led to some 50 people falling ill.
Kaiga Nuclear Plant Station Director J P Gupta told PTI earlier over telephone from Kaiga that the incident has also been reported to the intelligence department.
"We are investigating the mischief. A committee has been formed," he said. Nuclear scientists are among those on the committee. State government agencies have also been alerted.
Asked if he suspected conspiracy or sabotage behind the episode, Gupta said he did not wish to comment, saying "it's being investigated".
Gupta said some 50 employees were subjected to treatment on November 25 to quickly reduce tritium dosage in their bodies, after they drank water from the cooler kept in 'operation island', a highly restricted zone. The water cooler was isolated. The employees became "normal" within hours of the treatment.
"Tritium is not poisonous," he said, adding, "It's a form of water." The employees were treated to bring down the dosage in their bodies quickly. Even otherwise, it would have come down on its own in normal course, Gupta said.
Notably in a shocking incident of sabotage, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on 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, 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 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.
All the persons are on their normal duty now, Gupta said.
Asked if he suspected "conspiracy" and "sabotage" behind the episode, Gupta said he did not wish to comment, maintaining, "It's being investigated".
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 radiation protection angle."
B Bhattacharjee, Member, National Disaster Management Authority, said the cooler was found to be sealed.
"But later on, the investigators found that through the drainage, the overflow line of the cooler, that it seems some mischief monger inserted some tritiated water and contaminated the whole cooler. And people have consumed that (water)," he said.
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."
Denying any release of radioactivity in and outside the Kaiga plant, Nuclear Power Corporation's Chairman and Managing Director S K Jain said all units of the plant are normal and none of its workers have been admitted to hospital.
Uttara Kannada district Superintendent of Police Raman Gupta said, "We are taking it (the incident) seriously as public interest is involved. We are waiting for the nod from Kaiga authorities for investigation."
Kaiga currently has three 220 mw plants -- two are operational and one has been shut-down from October 20 for annual maintenance. A fourth one is slated to be operational from later this financial year.
Few years back a similar malevolent act was observed in Tarapur atomic power sub-station and the culprits were dismissed after investigations.
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