In a shocking incident of sabotage, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on Sunday said radioactive tritium was "deliberately" put in a water cooler at the high-security Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant, exposing about 50 workers to increased level of radiation.

"Somebody deliberately put the tritiated water vials into a drinking water cooler. Therefore, we are investigating who is behind the malevolent act," AEC Chairman Anil Kakodkar said in Mumbai.

Describing the incident as a serious operating procedure lapse, he said people involved will be punished under the Atomic Energy and other acts after investigation. In New Delhi, Minister of State for Atomic Energy Prithviraj Chavan said an inquiry is already in progress. It has to be seen whether it was an act of a "disgruntled" individual, he said, noting, "We will find answers soon."

About 45 to 50 employees working in the first maintenance unit of the Kaiga plant in Uttara Kannada district were treated at the plant hospital in Mallapur for increased level of tritium after they drank water from a cooler in the operating area on November 24, official sources said. Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators.

The plant's Station Director J P Gupta said on phone from Kaiga that investigations have revealed that one of the water coolers was found to be contaminated and as a precautionary measure, body samples of all the persons working in the area were analysed and based on those results, a few were sent for medical consultation.

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