New Delhi: Government on Tuesday said radioactive
material found among scrap in Mayapuri in West Delhi, which
triggered panic early this month, apparently came from abroad.
"How it came? Most likely that this equipment (containing
Cobalt 60) which was found there is not registered with the
Atomic Energy Regulation Board. So logical conclusion is that
it came as scrap from abroad," Minister of State for Atomic
Energy Prithviraj Chavan told the Rajya Sabha.
Replying to a Calling Attention notice on the incident
in which seven persons were affected by radiation injuries, he
ruled out the origin of the radioactive material from the
domestic sources as the country has very strict mechanism of
rules and regulations.
Chavan said no operator in the country could buy
radiological equipment for treatment without permission of the
AERB and even the disposal of the same was monitored.
Agreeing with members both from ruling and opposition
sides that there was no law providing for compensation to
victims of such mishaps, Chavan said, "We need to enact a
legislation against nuclear liability".
The proposed Civil Nuclear Liability Bill is facing strong
opposition from BJP and Left parties whose support is required
for passage of the measure in the Upper House.
To guard borders against imports of such radioactive
materials, the government is installing 12 full container
scanners at major ports, he said adding that two such machines
were in operation at Nhava Sheva port at Mumbai.
"We have taken the incident very seriously," he said in
the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The government would blacklist the countries from where
false declaration was given regarding the material landing at
the ports, Chavan said.
While the system was in place for registration of scrap
dealers, he said it needed to be tightened.
Allaying members` concern that such incidents, on wider
scale, could happen with the country planning to go in for
nuclear power plants in a big way, the Minister said it would
not be so.
This was because every single gram of the atomic material
including the wastage was accounted for. The pilferage "is
just out of question", he said.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh intervened to say that
the government would come out with comprehensive guidelines
for monitoring the E-waste material by May 15.
However, for medical waste, excluding the radioactive
part, the guidelines were already there, he said.
In the discussion, members cutting across party lines said
the country was not prepared to face such eventualities and
there was no legal mechanism for compensation.
Chavan shared members` concern over local doctors not
being able to detect that the injuries to the affected persons
were from the radioactive sources.
Three to four crucial days were lost before the doctors at
the Apollo Hospital alerted the authorities at the Department
of Atomic Energy, which swung into action.
"All the sources were safely transported in shielded
flasks to Narora. The radiation sources recovered are being
examined at Narora to determine their origins," he said.
Chavan said as a matter of abundant caution, the entire
surrounding area consisting of around 800 shops was scanned by
four joint teams of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF).
He said a small patch of soil at the scrap market was
found having slight contamination with Cobalt 60, but of very
low order.
"The entire area has been certified to be free of elevated
radiation fields," he said.
Initiating the discussion, D Raja (CPI) said scrap dealers
are victims of the government failure. The incident shows that
the country is not prepared to handle such an eventuality.
After 123 Agreement with the US on civil nuclear power, the
country would face a different situation.
Kalraj Mishra (BJP) wondered whether the country was
prepared to handle such incidents with the Commonwealth Games
approaching.
Najma Heptulla (BJP) wanted to know how the country was
going to control waste disposal in the wake of plans to set up
nuclear power plants.
About the medical preparedness, she said even doctors at
the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) could not
diagnose the radioactive effect on the patients.
Jayanthi Natarajan (Congress) said hospitals violating
bio-medical waste disposal rules should be given stringent
punishment.
Viplove Thakur and P J Kurien (both Congress), R C Singh
(CPI), Avinash Khanna (BJP) and Moinul Hassan (CPI-M) also
spoke.
PTI
