Gujarat’s Kakrapar nuclear plant shut down after one of its reactors develops a leak
Safety mechanisms were enforced and no harmful radiation has escaped the facility, authorities said.
A coolant system in one of the nuclear reactors at the Kakrapar power plant in Gujarat developed a leak on Friday, forcing authorities to shut down the facility indefinitely. According to The Hindu, no harmful radiation escaped the plant, and back-up safety mechanisms were enforced to ensure that none of the surrounding areas were in danger.
The plant's site director issued a statement saying a small leak had developed in the Primary Heat Transport System, and that all safety systems were working as intended. Experts will need to wait for the plant to cool down before they can approach it to ascertain the extent and exact location of the damage.
Officials said such a leak was a rare occurrence, and while there was “nothing to panic about”, it needs to be investigated thoroughly. The Kakrapar plant is located in south Gujarat and began operations in 1993. In 2011, seven workers were exposed to radiation while working in one of the plant's ducts, dna reported. The facility will restart operations only once it gets an approval from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.