Sri Lanka has raised concerns over nuclear power plants located in southern India, the country's power and energy minister Champika Ranawaka has said.
Ranawaka said the issue will be raised at the next International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in September.
He said Colombo
is concerned over the impact of a nuclear disaster in one of the plants in India could have on Sri Lanka. The two nations are divided by a narrow strip of sea.
Ranawaka told reporters on Sunday that Sri Lanka is seeking an agreement with India on nuclear disaster management and New Delhi has responded positively, Xinhua reported.
In the event of a nuclear disaster in India, the Sri Lankan authorities feel the northern town of Mannar will be the hardest hit. Ranawaka said his ministry is currently conducting a survey of the coast to identify the areas to conduct radiation tests.
Sri Lanka wants to be prepared for a nuclear disaster after the incidents in Japan last year where a nuclear plant was damaged as a result of an earthquake, the minister said.