Mock drill conducted in Kalpakkan N-units

The Department of Atomic Energy at Kalpakkam today conducted its annual emergency exercise to check the preparedness of officials according to the guidelines laid down by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

The DAE has various units functioning at Kalpakkam like the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), the under construction Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, BARC facilities and the Fast reactor Fuel Cycle facility.

The exercise is conducted every year as a part of the Emergency Preparedness plan, a release said.

More than 10,000 personnel took part in the exercise of which 6,500 were 'evacuated' in buses and remaining by their own vehicles. The 'evacuation' was completed in 150 minutes, the release said.

The drill witnessed various activities including sheltering of site personnel, administration of chocolates (in place of tablets) to personnel as a protective action, evacuation of non-essential personnel out of the site, it said.

Senior officials of IGCAR, BHAVINI, BARC facilities and observers from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board took part in the conduct of the exercise which was overseen by the Kalpakkam Emergency Committee headed by R Satyanarayana who is also the Madras Atomic Power Station Director.

The exercise was successfully conducted, the release added.