"it's a cruel joke', was the reaction of the noted Gandhian and anti-nuclear activist, Sangamitra Gadekar, when she heard that the Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant ( raps ) at Rawatbhata was awarded this year's Golden Peacock Environment Management Award. Gadekar had conducted a study in 1991 on the impact of radiation on people and animals in five villages located near raps in 1991. According to her, the local people continued to be at great risk due to the effect of radiation . She demanded that the plant authorities release data on routine emissions in the plant to the researchers. Gadekar also urged the authorities to examine the health of those employed inside the plant and make the report public.

Gadekar said that the plant will be eligible for any award on environment only when water, air and land of the region was not affected by radiation. "The government should ensure that children and women who are pregnant do not work within a distance of at least 1.6 km from the plant,' Gadekar said.