New Delhi, May 14, 2010. Greenpeace radiation experts Stan Vincent and Jan Vande Putte survey the Mayapuri scrap market in Delhi. Radiation from a Cobalt 60 source killed one person and injured six persons in the western Delhi metal scrap market of Mayapuri. The cobalt 60 was sourced to pencils from a gamma irradiator machine that was sold by Delhi University to scrap dealers. The International Atomic Energy Agency has termed it as a Level 4 accident.
This is after the Government gave a clean chit. Greenpeace has
identified and marked the contaminated zone and has shared
information with local people and the concerned authorities.
"We are here to verify whether the claim made by the government
guaranteeing that this area is safe is really true. The fear and
doubts in the locality is palpable and it is a shame that today, we
discovered that the area is still contaminated and local workers
are unnecessarily continuing to be exposed to unacceptable levels
of radiation. We consider these failures as a serious breach of
nationally and internationally accepted procedures", said Karuna
Raina, Nuclear campaigner, Greenpeace India.
The Greenpeace team with the help of radiation monitors such as
an identiFINDER gamma spectrometer and a RadAlert gamma dosimeter
scanned the area around one of the shops where the cobalt 60
pencils were recovered. The claims made by the government have been
proven to be hollow and the area continues to be contaminated
beyond acceptable levels.
The survey results show that there are extremely high levels in
localized hotspots and if a person is squatting in these areas they
will be exposed to unacceptable radiation risks in excess of the
annual dose limit according to Indian standards[2]. For example, in
the hotspot with 5000 times background radiation, a person would
receive the maximum permissible annual dose of 1 millisievert in
just a matter of 2 hours. "While the risk in the hotspots is
severe, the solutions are really simple as the hotspot can very
easily be decontaminated", said Jan Vande Putte, Greenpeace
Radiation Safety expert. "The authorities should immediately
decontaminate the hotspots and do a thorough survey of the other
shops as well. We have shared all the relevant information with the
workers in the area to ensure that there is no panic created."
"This is the consequence of a flawed policy that makes the
nuclear regulating body subordinate to institutions that promote
nuclear technology in our country. This clear conflict of interest
allows for transparency and accountability to be compromised. India
is gravely unprepared for a massive expansion in a civilian nuclear
program", said Ms. Raina.
Making a link to the contentious Civilian Nuclear Liability Bill
that was introduced in the midst of a walk out by the opposition
parties in parliament and is now before the Congress led standing
committee on Science and Technology, Raina noted that accidents
like the one that happened in Mayapuri are not covered by the bill.
Greenpeace has been campaigning against the unconstitutional
clauses in the Bill including an attempt to cap liability. "This
incident highlights the need for a rigorous study of the risks
involved in operation of nuclear power plants. There must be a
vigorous and informed public debate and relevant opinions ought to
be gathered by the parliamentary standing committee for science and
technology that is examining the bill. Otherwise it would be a
mockery of safety and justice"
For further information, contact
Karuna Raina, Nuclear Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace, Ph: Blr: +91 97313 99685, Delhi: +919417116267 
Jan Vande Putte, Radiation Safety Expert, Greenpeace, Ph: Del: +919845535418 
Shachi Chaturvedi, Senior Media Officer, Greenpeace, +91 98187 50007, 
Seema Javed, Senior Media Officer, Greenpeace, +91 99100 59765, 
Notes to Editor
[1] The background radiation level in Mayapuri region was 0.1microSv/hr and the level of radiation at various hotspots was 500 microSv/hr
[2] The BARC sets the annual acceptable dose from non natural sources at 1 millisievert