DAE conducted an emergency response exercise at Kalpakkam

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Kalpakkam Center on Wednesday conducted a ‘Site Emergency Exercise’ as part of its emergency preparedness and response plan.

A statement said the objective of the exercise was to check the preparedness of the Kalpakkam DAE center and station management to handle remote emergency situations. Kalpakkam Center has several facilities like Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, a prototype fast breeder reactor (under construction) and Nuclear Recycling Board.

M. Kalpakkam Emergency Committee headed by Sesiah, Station Director MAPS and Site Emergency Director supervised the drill.

More than 9,000 personnel were involved in the incident, who were evacuated within an hour and a half and the entire exercise was completed in three and a half hours, the statement said.