Tarapur N-plant faced shut down threat due to leaky valves in 1973

"In September 1973, the inevitable happened. The malfunctioning of pumps, valves and fuel bundles at TAPS (Tarapur Atomic Power Station) led to the radioactive levels rising far greater than those laid down by the International Commission for Radiation Protection," The Week news magazine reported.

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had summoned Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Homi Sethna and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director Raja Ramanna to convey her "acute concerns" on the matter.

"Eminent scientists, both pleaded with her not to pronounce what would have been a death sentence on the credibility of the country's nuclear programme," the report said quoting Ashok Parthsarathi, then the Scientific Assistant to Gandhi.

Gandhi relented but not before taking the nuclear establishment to task and ordering them to set things right.

"The Centre launched a secret operation to ensure contaminated fish caught from Tarapur did not reach the market. The government compensated the fishermen for the loss; fishermen affected by radiation were treated secretly," it said.

The Department of Atomic Energy launched a massive effort to contain and rectify the continuing damage within TAPS and the plants remained closed till the problems were completely rectified.