No radiation leak at Kaiga, workers safe: NPCIL

Maintaining that there was no release of radioactivity in and outside the Kaiga Atomic Power Plant, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) today said it is only a drinking water cooler that was contaminated, which is behind its workers suffering minor radiation exposure.

"Preliminary inquiry does not reveal any violation of operating procedures or radioactivity releases or security breach. It is possibly an act of mischief. The related agencies are investigating," NPCIL Chairman and Managing Director S K Jain said in a statement here.

About 50 employees working in Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Karwar district in North Karnataka suffered minor nuclear radiation exposure after drinking contaminated water from the water cooler in the premises of the plant.

Jain said all units of the plant are functioning normally and none of its workers has been admitted to hospital.

"All plant systems are working normally and cannot cause any contamination. The source of radiation contamination was identified to be a water cooler located outside the reactor building and has been isolated and put out of service," he said.

"No worker is hospitalised and all are carrying their duties," Jain said.