Radioactive waste leak in Jharkhand
February 2, December 2006, there had been radioactive waste leak at Jadugoda in harkhand. Speaking on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate the new facilities of Chennai Mathematical Institute, Anil Kakodkar, chairman of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said that one of the pipes carrying radioactive waste to the storage dams, known as talling ponds, had actually burst on December 24.
Kakodkar said that the radioactive waste leak should have been noticed immediately. He said that the toxic waste leak was noticed the next day morning and repairing of the pipe and removal of the sludge began immediately. He also said that the DAE had conducted surveys in the area involving NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organization) and the radioactive waste leak had not affected the local population. Kakodkar said that the deformities among people in the area were not because of radiation.
According to media reports, On December 24, 2006, in Dungridih, a small village near Jadugoda, one of the pipes carrying radioactive wastes from the Uranium mill to a storage dam had burst. It discharged highly toxic wastes into a nearby creek for around nine hours.
Asked about the possibility of displacement of locals in koodankulam, Kakodkar told that there would not be displacement of any kind. He said on the repeated postponement of the public hearing, the local population had to be educated first.
Kakodkar said that the focus of the ongoing research at the Kalpakkam Nuclear Complex was on taking fuel utilisation to higher levels.
