A team of experts initiated probe at the units of Kakarapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) near Vyara town in South Gujarat. KAPS was shut down after heavy water leakage.
It has already been confirmed that there was no radioactive release at the site. Sources at KAPS said that two experts from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) have reached at the site to assist KAPS officials in finding out the reason for leakage. They would do an independent assessment of the various units of the plant.
On Friday morning one of the two 220 MW units of KAPS was shut down after leakage of heavy water, which is used for cooling off the nuclear reactor core. A temporary site emergency was also declared as a measure of safety, although the officials said that there was no radioactive leak and all the workers were safe.
According to KAPS director lalit Jain the KAPS authority had carried out a thorough radiation survey and there was no change in radiation level at the plant and into public domain (outside the plant) till Saturday evening. Jain said that there has been no increase in radiation level.
He further said the focus would be on identifying the cause of the leakage and till the plant would remain shut down. According to him the radiation levels inside the plant and in the nearby areas are being regularly monitored.
The AERB has already clarified that all the safety functions of the reactor were working satisfactorily and there has not been any “abnormal release” of radioactivity outside the plant or radiation exposures as a result of the incident.