Here is the news item from The NewIndian Express
Disaster warning system at IGCAR
CHENNAI: An indigenous disaster warning system would be installed at the atomic power plant in Kalpakkam in two weeks, said Baldev Raj, director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).As soon as the system receives information on any earthquake measuring more than 7 on the Richter scale, the sytem would transmit it, and all personnel would be evacuated from the plant.
Talking to journalists on Wednesday, Baldev Raj said the system had already arrived at the plant and was under inspection.
‘‘It was developed by a company in Pune and would be installed along the coastline in two weeks,’’he pointed out.
The warning system would continuously scan the earthquake monitoring stations around the globe and issue a warning each time a quake occurred.
‘‘If the quake is of a magnitude higher than 7 on the Richter scale, we will immediately evacuate the premises. We will not wait for more warnings of a tsunami,’’ he said participating at the 7th National Technology Day celebrations held at KJ Hospital in the city.
During the December 26 tsunami, as many as 35 lives had been lost in Kalpakkam and the plant had sustained a loss of around Rs 15 crore.
The work on the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) raft at the Kalpakkam Atomic Plant had commenced only on April 27 as per the directions from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).
The work at the site had been disrupted after around 3.5 lakh cubic metres of sea water, sludge and muck had entered the 500 MWe FBR pit during the tsunami, which occurred on December 26. The deemed university status for IGCAR would be confirmed in a week’s time, he said.