Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) The Maharashtra government Tuesday said that the radiation released from a crippled Japanese nuclear power plant would not have any hazardous consequences in the state and cautioned the people against believing rumours to the contrary.

The appeal was made by Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad after conducting a review of the safety measures at nuclear power plants in the state at a high-level meeting in Mantralaya. Among the projects discussed were the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Tarapur, and the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Ratnagiri.

Gaikwad said that the nuclear radiation from the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan has gradually slowed down and the people residing in the peripheral area of 20 km were shifted from there.

Local TV channels have been speculating about the consequences of the Japanese disaster but Gaikwad cited a scientist at the meeting saying there is no danger to people in India, who are 5,500 km away.

The meeting was informed that a disaster management plan for the Tarapur Nuclear Power Project is already in place and a mock drill is conducted there every two years by the disaster management team.

Besides Gaikwad, the meeting was attended by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd CMD S.K. Jain, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board chairman A.P. Joshi, AERB deputy chairman S.K. Chande, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Umeshchandran Sarangi, Additional Chief Secretary (Rehabilitation) J.S. Saharia, Additional Director General of Police Satyapal Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) J.K. Banthiya and Konkan Divisional Commissioner S.K. Sandhu.