Sirsi(Karnataka): About 55 employees of the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant in Uttara Kannada district were exposed to minor nuclear radiation after drinking contaminated water in the plant.
Routine urine tests of maintenance unit employees showed that the tritium level was higher than the normal level. The workers were immediately hospitalised and treated. They have now been discharged.
Anil Kakodkar, chairman of the Atomic Power Commission told television channels the incident and contents of the water in the water cooler are being investigated.
Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators.
Scientists carried out immediate checks for radioactivity at the plant site but no leakage was detected, sources said.
KAPS-I has been shut down since October 20 for annual maintenance.
Exposure to such radiation increases the risk of cancer among other side effects.
Kaiga nuclear plant radiation leak leaves 55 ill
Canada, India reach nuclear cooperation pact
Canada and India agreed on Saturday to cooperate on nuclear issues, with a pact that ends a freeze in cooperation dating from 1974 and could offer new opportunities for Canadian uranium firms.
"Increased collaboration with India's civilian nuclear energy market will allow Canadian companies to benefit from greater access to one of the world's largest and fastest expanding economies," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement, announcing the conclusion of negotiations on a nuclear cooperation agreement.
"Canada and India will now take the necessary steps to prepare the agreement for final signature and implementation," said the statement, released after talks between Harper and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago.
Canada halted nuclear co-operation with India after the country diverted material from Canadian-designed reactors to make a nuclear bomb in 1974.
Possible Canadian winners from a deal include uranium miner Cameco Corp, which has said it plans to open a marketing office in India in an effort to win uranium supply deals, mining joint ventures and a chance to leverage its expertise in nuclear technology that India already uses.
(Reporting by Janet Guttsman; Editing by Peter Cooney)
India tests nuclear-capable missile after sunset
India's army tested a nuclear-capable Agni missile after sunset on Monday for the first time to demonstrate it could be fired whenever required, defence officials said.
The surface-to-surface Agni II missile is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to targets around 2,000 km (1,200 miles) away, officials said.
"It was tested after sunset and we are awaiting results," said a defence official, who asked not to be identified.
The missile was test launched from Wheeler's Island, off India's east coast in Orissa state.
Its range can be increased to 3000 km (1,900 miles) by reducing the load. It is 65 feet (20 meters) long and can carry a payload of one tonne.
(Reporting by Jatindra Dash; Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Ron Popeski)