By Our Correspondent - Karwar

Karwar, November 28, 2009: At least 30 persons were hospitalized for radiation activity at the Kaiga Nuclear Power Corporation at Kaiga near here. Though the incident happened on Friday the news trickled out only on Saturday.

According to information received from the Nuclear Power station director J.P.Gupta “Nuclear Power Corporation of India has set up four Units of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors each of 220 MWe capacities at Kaiga.  The first three units - Units-1, 2 & 3 are already operational and the fourth Unit is being commissioned.

Kaiga Unit-1 is in Biennial shutdown for routine maintenance works since 20th October 2009.  Kaiga Generating Station Units-2 and 3 are operating normal.

On 25th November 2009, Tritium contamination of some of the radiation workers was indicated by their routine bioassay.  Thorough survey of the plant areas did not indicate any heavy water leak from any of the reactor systems and the general radiological conditions were found to be normal in the plant areas indicating the tritium uptake of these persons was not due to plant system conditions.

Further investigations indicated that the source of tritium uptake is due to drinking of water from one of the water cooler, was found to be contaminated.  The water cooler was isolated and put out of use.

As an abundant precaution bioassay samples of all the persons working in that area were analysed.   Based on the analysis results, a few personnel were advised to visit for routine medical consultation as per laid down procedures and are attending to their normal duties.  The event of contamination of water cooler is being investigated.

Following the incident the Director of Nuclear Power Corporation Mr. Nageshwar Rao  and the a seven member team of atomic energy regulatory board of India rushed to Kaiga from Mumbai on Saturday and are camping in Kaiga taking stock of the situation and trying to extend expertise.
 
Tritium is a low beta emissioning material and if the quantity exposed to the atmosphere was high then it may lead to many dangers such as cancers in surrounding area.
 
The intelligence and the police are now looking into many angles that have led to the accident. One of the theories that is going around in the Karwar city is that the one that alleges theft of Tritium. This is volatile material and could be used for putting together a triggering mechanism in a thermonuclear fusion. Tritium is also an isotope of the hydrogen and is the main element used in the hydrogen bombs it is said. Tritium is also used in maintenance of nuclear weapons.
 
Though the Kaiga NPC officials tried to keep the incident tucked in high secrecy blanket the news got out following large number of people being hospitalised in Mallapurm township which is just 7 kilometers from the Kaiga plant. All that emanated from the NPC Kaiga was a press release giving a brief account of the incident as narrated in the first few paragraphs of this story.