Tata centre to take up health study in Kaiga

Mumbai-based Tata Memorial Centre will take up an independent survey on the health of people residing in the vicinity of Kaiga nuclear power plant.

The study comes in the wake of reports of widespread cancer incidence in the villages near the power plant and will cover human habitation in a radius of 16 km of the plant, said Dr Rajendra Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Centre.

The radiation emitted by nuclear power plants is many times more than the human body is exposed to during X-rays and CT-scans. The Centre has conducted studies on health of people residing in the vicinity of nuclear power plants across the country and no cases of cancer induced by radiation has been detected so far, Dr Badwe said.

He was addressing a press meet after taking part in the seminar ‘Radiation and Cancer,’ here on Saturday.

Dr Badwe said the health survey will be conducted in phases: on people residing in the radiation zone of the reactor; the radiation-free zone and in the human habitations close to the nuclear reactor.

Cancer patients

The programme will commence in about three months. He said Goa has the highest number of cancer patients compared to Bangalore and Mumbai.

NNagaich, Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited said the Central government has accorded an in principle approval for units five and six in Kaiga.