No radiological impact on India from Japan nuclear plant leak: AERB

The Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) today said that there was no radiological "impact" on India due to radiation leak from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.

"AERB is constantly monitoring the situation at the nuclear plants based in Fukushima in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. The board is also keeping a constant eye on the data being reported by the Indian Environmental Radiation Monitoring Network (IMERMON) from various locations across India," AERB secretary R Bhattacharya said.

"The IMERMON network established by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) provides on-line data on radioactive levels at 28 locations across the country and it is observed that there has been no increase in the radiation levels above normal in India," Bhattacharya, who is also the director of information and technical services and industrial plant safety at AERB, said in a release.

Considering the geographical location of India with respect to Fukushima and the current status of radioactive releases and the prevailing wind direction towards east (towards the Pacific ocean), no impact from the radioactivity released is expected in India, he added.