[sacw] Indian Nuclear Plant shut as airlock door collapses

Tue, 12 Oct 1999 01:07:57 +0200

=46YI
(South Asians against Nukes)
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Indian Express
Tuesday, October 12, 1999
http://www.indian-express.com/ie/daily/19991012/ige12071.html

Narora plant shut as airlock door collapses

By D N MOORTY & SAURABH SHUKLA =20

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, OCT 11: One of the two reactors at the Narora Atomic
Power Plant has been shut down following the collapse of an `airlock
door' leading to the coolant section housing the reactor.

The plant is divided into four zones in terms of radiation levels. The
airlock door that gave way on September 30, apparently under pressure,
leads to Zone 3. The actual reactor precinct is categorized as Zone 4.

Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission R Chidambaram confirmed the
incident saying it was a mechanical problem, not a mishap. And that
there was `absolutely no danger' of radiation leakage. `The plant will
be shut down till it is repaired,' he said. `The doors are made
leak-tight and are electronically controlled, we were checking the
interspace to ensure that the seal was there when suddenly one of the
doors came off its hinges,' Station Director P K Mathur told The Indian
Express. He said that normal operations are expected to resume by the
end of the month.

Officials from BARC and theNuclear Power Corporation have visited the
plant. `We could have let the unit function as nothing major happened
but we didn't want to take any chances,' Mathur said.

Dr Y S R Prasad, chairman and managing director of the Nuclear Power
Corporation responsible for running the Narora plant was not available
for comment.