The Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) is conducting a survey to measure radioactive material present in Sri Lankan soil as a precautionary measure in case there is a leakage in the Kudankulam Power Plant in India.

AEA Chairman Dr. Ranjith Wijewardena said they were planning to gather data of the existing radioactive material and their levels so that the AEA could compare these results with the data gathered after any leakage of radioactive material. He said these results would be important to determine whether there is an increase in the radiation levels in Sri Lankan soil, if any nuclear disaster takes places affecting Sri Lanka.

“This is just a precautionary measure and also a project to feed our data bases. There have been talks about possible dangers with the construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. So we want to make sure Sri Lanka is out of harm’s way even though there is little possibility of radioactive material from India flowing to Sri Lanka because the power plant is about 200 km away from Sri Lanka” he assured.

The AEA has chosen 100 locations all over the island for the radioactive material study and also different locations in the Sri Lanka sea territory extracting sea water and sediment for the examination of radioactive material present in those samples.

“Radioactive material is everywhere. It can be either natural radioactive elements or artificial radioactive material. We believe that this artificial material came to Sri Lanka with countries like the USA running nuclear energy tests because the radioactive material is diffused to the atmosphere when these tests are done. But we did not find any radioactive material in any location above or in the hazardous level so the general public need not panic ,” he said.
He also said the AEA had found locations where natural radioactive materials were deposited like the Uranium deposit in Pulmudai.

“ Currently AEA is involved in a project with the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau to identify these deposits to  make use of them because material such as Uranium and Thorium are actually fuel used in nuclear power plants” he added. (Sarasi Paranamanna)