COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on
Monday expressed concern
over possible impact of radiation
from India’s nuclear
power plants located in the
southern region, as it prepares
to raise the issue with
global atomic watchdog
IAEA.
The offi cial raising of concern
with the International
Atomic Energy is to be made
in September, Power and
Energy Minister Champika
Ranawaka said. “We respect
the right of India to have nuclear
power stations. But our
concerns are on the possible
radiation effects they could
have on Sri Lanka. We have
already written a letter,”
Ranawaka said.
Ranawaka said Sri Lanka’s
concerns stem from
disasters such as Chernobyl
and Fukushima. Sri Lanka
would work towards achieving
guarantees of safety. Sri
Lankan energy offi cials say
at least three nuclear plants
are located on the southern
coast of Tamil Nadu which is
separated from the island by
a narrow strip of sea.
The minister said the IAEA
had proposed that a mutual
agreement on the matter
should be reached between
the two countries. “We have
sent a proposal to India
through the External Affairs
Ministry and the Indians
have sent back a note on the
matter,” he was quoted as
saying by Colombo Page.
According to Ranawaka,
the Indian government has
sent a proposal to commence
a broad based discussion
while Sri Lanka wants
only to discuss and reach
an agreement on a disaster
mitigating programme in the
event of a nuclear disaster in
the South Indian plants, the
paper said. Sri Lanka has
no nuclear power plants but
is just 20 kilometres away
from Indian mainland at the
closest point.
Koodankulam nuclear
plant in India’s Southern
coast is just 250 km from Sri
Lanka’s northwest coastal
town of Mannar.
Sri Lanka Atomic Energy
Authority does not possess
adequate facilities to face a
threat of nuclear accident.
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