Two More Sources Of Radiation Detected In Mayapuri
Two more sources of radiation were detected in the Mayapuri scrap market in Delhi, where Cobalt-60 was recovered, taking the total sources of radioactive substance found in the industrial area to 10.Eight sources of radioactive
Two more sources of radiation were detected in the Mayapuri scrap market in Delhi, where Cobalt-60 was recovered, taking the total sources of radioactive substance found in the industrial area to 10.
Eight sources of radioactive Cobalt-60 were detected last week while the two fresh cases of radiation were detected on Tuesday. Seven persons suffered seriously from radiation exposure.
Fresh radiation was detected by a team of experts from Department of Atomic Energy which was conducting follow-up checks in the market, S K Malhotra, Public Awareness Officer of DAE, told PTI.
"Our team from Atomic Minerals Directorate Unit was combing the area for possible radiation. We had gone there for a routine check when we detected higher than normal radiation levels in 500 metres of the shop where radiation was detected earlier," he said.
"We detected two more sources of radiation last night. However, radiation was much less in intensity this time compared to the one we detected last week," he said.
Experts were ascertaining the nature of the radioactive material. The shopkeeper had removed some metal from scrap which is the source of fresh radiation, he said.
Soon after the radiation was detected, National Disaster Management Authority and National Disaster Response Force were alerted.
Panic was triggered in the locality last week after news of a radiation leak spread with six persons falling ill after coming in contact with a "mysterious shining object" in a scrap shop, later identified as Co-60.
A senior police official said the new source of radiation was detected "quite far off" from the earlier one which was detected on last Friday in the shop in Mayapuri owned by one Deepka Jain, who is in a serious condition in Apollo Hospital.
Asked whether it was a lapse on part of experts who conducted searches last week, he answered in the negative saying the new source of radiation was at least 500 metres from the shop where the radiation was detected earlier.
The official said there were no fresh cases of hospitalisation in the national capital as the seventh patient was admitted on Sunday.
NDMA member J K Bansal said the Authority will be doing radiation monitoring by radio biodosimetry which will be done at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Life Sciences.
He said there was "no risk" at the moment but "whosoever has been already been exposed there may be very low exposure, not showing any symptoms, so they are being monitored".
Meanwhile, police remained clueless about the origin of radioactive Cobalt-60 recovered from the scrap shop last week. Investigators are yet to receive any report from Department of Atomic Energy regarding Cobalt-60 recovered from Mayapuri scrap market.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said they were yet to make any headway in the probe as investigators could not speak to Jain.
Asked about reports putting the origin of the radioactive material to foreign countries, he said it was speculation and they have not received any report from experts.
AERB experts, along with Department of Atomic Energy scientists, has safely removed eight bunches of metal scraps containing sources of Cobalt-60 radioactive isotope from the West Delhi shop and transported the material to the Narora Atomic Power Station in Uttar Pradesh.
A one-time investment of about Rs 12,000 on a monitoring equipment can save scrap dealers from the perils of radiation. This is the advice of top nuclear scientist B B Bhattacharya in the backdrop of detection of ten sources of radioactive Cobalt-60 in a scrap market in west Delhi's Mayapuri which left seven persons injured.
"Scrap dealers should not wait for the government or the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to come and help them. Invest Rs 10,000 or Rs 12,000 on a radiation monitoring equipment and be safe," Bhattacharya told PTI.
Bhattacharya, the former director of Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), is presently the member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and had played a prominent role in formulating the guidelines for nuclear disaster management.
He said the scrap dealer should go for the simple equipment which show the presence of radioactive material and ensure that the material they sell are not dangerous.
"When they buy scrap, they can check it with the instrument. They can also show a buyer that their consignment is radiation-free," he said. "They should not wait for or depend on anyone. I advice all scrap dealers in the country to make this small one-time investment. Their investment is for common good. They will ensure that they are safe and others are also safe. This is a question of safety," he said.
He said the scrap dealers can utilise the services of Emergency Response Teams of NDMA located in all cities to calibrate their equipment.
The NDMA has earlier written to Home Ministry to install equipment in police vans which can detect radioactive elements.
"Police vans should be fitted with equipment that can detect radioactive substances. We have suggested this to the government and hope they are taking action in this direction," Bhattacharya said.
According to the official, the equipment can monitor radiation level and if there is a leak, it can zero in on the locality. "The papers are with the Ministry. The process is on and we hope it will soon materialise," he said.
Asked what should the government do to ensure that incidents of radiation leak should not occur, Bhattacharya said the NDMA has already given the guidelines and "somebody should implement it".
Soon after the Mayapuri incident came to light last week, Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan had last said government was planning some mechanism to ensure that scrap dealers report to authorities about detection of radioactive material. PTI
Eight sources of radioactive Cobalt-60 were detected last week while the two fresh cases of radiation were detected on Tuesday. Seven persons suffered seriously from radiation exposure.
Fresh radiation was detected by a team of experts from Department of Atomic Energy which was conducting follow-up checks in the market, S K Malhotra, Public Awareness Officer of DAE, told PTI.
"Our team from Atomic Minerals Directorate Unit was combing the area for possible radiation. We had gone there for a routine check when we detected higher than normal radiation levels in 500 metres of the shop where radiation was detected earlier," he said.
"We detected two more sources of radiation last night. However, radiation was much less in intensity this time compared to the one we detected last week," he said.
Experts were ascertaining the nature of the radioactive material. The shopkeeper had removed some metal from scrap which is the source of fresh radiation, he said.
Soon after the radiation was detected, National Disaster Management Authority and National Disaster Response Force were alerted.
Panic was triggered in the locality last week after news of a radiation leak spread with six persons falling ill after coming in contact with a "mysterious shining object" in a scrap shop, later identified as Co-60.
A senior police official said the new source of radiation was detected "quite far off" from the earlier one which was detected on last Friday in the shop in Mayapuri owned by one Deepka Jain, who is in a serious condition in Apollo Hospital.
Asked whether it was a lapse on part of experts who conducted searches last week, he answered in the negative saying the new source of radiation was at least 500 metres from the shop where the radiation was detected earlier.
The official said there were no fresh cases of hospitalisation in the national capital as the seventh patient was admitted on Sunday.
NDMA member J K Bansal said the Authority will be doing radiation monitoring by radio biodosimetry which will be done at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Life Sciences.
He said there was "no risk" at the moment but "whosoever has been already been exposed there may be very low exposure, not showing any symptoms, so they are being monitored".
Meanwhile, police remained clueless about the origin of radioactive Cobalt-60 recovered from the scrap shop last week. Investigators are yet to receive any report from Department of Atomic Energy regarding Cobalt-60 recovered from Mayapuri scrap market.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said they were yet to make any headway in the probe as investigators could not speak to Jain.
Asked about reports putting the origin of the radioactive material to foreign countries, he said it was speculation and they have not received any report from experts.
AERB experts, along with Department of Atomic Energy scientists, has safely removed eight bunches of metal scraps containing sources of Cobalt-60 radioactive isotope from the West Delhi shop and transported the material to the Narora Atomic Power Station in Uttar Pradesh.
A one-time investment of about Rs 12,000 on a monitoring equipment can save scrap dealers from the perils of radiation. This is the advice of top nuclear scientist B B Bhattacharya in the backdrop of detection of ten sources of radioactive Cobalt-60 in a scrap market in west Delhi's Mayapuri which left seven persons injured.
"Scrap dealers should not wait for the government or the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to come and help them. Invest Rs 10,000 or Rs 12,000 on a radiation monitoring equipment and be safe," Bhattacharya told PTI.
Bhattacharya, the former director of Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), is presently the member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and had played a prominent role in formulating the guidelines for nuclear disaster management.
He said the scrap dealer should go for the simple equipment which show the presence of radioactive material and ensure that the material they sell are not dangerous.
"When they buy scrap, they can check it with the instrument. They can also show a buyer that their consignment is radiation-free," he said. "They should not wait for or depend on anyone. I advice all scrap dealers in the country to make this small one-time investment. Their investment is for common good. They will ensure that they are safe and others are also safe. This is a question of safety," he said.
He said the scrap dealers can utilise the services of Emergency Response Teams of NDMA located in all cities to calibrate their equipment.
The NDMA has earlier written to Home Ministry to install equipment in police vans which can detect radioactive elements.
"Police vans should be fitted with equipment that can detect radioactive substances. We have suggested this to the government and hope they are taking action in this direction," Bhattacharya said.
According to the official, the equipment can monitor radiation level and if there is a leak, it can zero in on the locality. "The papers are with the Ministry. The process is on and we hope it will soon materialise," he said.
Asked what should the government do to ensure that incidents of radiation leak should not occur, Bhattacharya said the NDMA has already given the guidelines and "somebody should implement it".
Soon after the Mayapuri incident came to light last week, Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan had last said government was planning some mechanism to ensure that scrap dealers report to authorities about detection of radioactive material. PTI