As per the revised guidelines, which were compiled in light of the Fukushima crisis, residents living within a 5km radius of a nuclear power station will be given iodine tablets to prevent thyroid cancer.
Those who live outside the 5km zone will be ordered to evacuate the place in case of a radiation dose of 500 microsieverts per hour is detected, reports Japan Times.
The agency expects that local governments hosting nuclear power plants will craft their own disaster mitigation plans based on the guidelines by 18 March 2013.
Under the revised rules, the 5km zone is called a ‘precautionary action zone’ and people will evacuate the place based on certain plant conditions before radioactive release begins.
Meanwhile, the 5km to 30km radius will be called an ‘urgent protective action planning zone’ and residents will evacuate the area subject to actual measured dose rates or other data.
