Delhi cleared of radiation threat
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COMMENTS 
The Department of Atomic Energy confirms that the missing Cobalt-60 that claimed a life and affected seven others in a Delhi scrap yard has been recovered. Sixteen pencils containing the radioactive material were located and moved to the Narora Atomic Power Station
The National Radiation Emergency Response team has recovered all the radioactive Cobalt-60 sources from a gamma cell that was scattered in a scrap yard at Mayapuri, in Delhi, exposing eight people to radiation.
“The operation of highly radioactive cobalt sources was completed last night and all the material has been handed over to the Narora Atomic Power Station,” Department of Atomic Energy sources told the media on May 5, 2010.
The gamma cell was auctioned by Delhi University’s chemistry department to a scrap dealer in Mayapuri, leading to the exposure of eight people to high levels of radiation. One person died, two others are in a serious condition.
Because many pencils from the machine were missing, the fear was that Delhi was still vulnerable. In all, 16 cobalt pencils were recovered, of which four were intact and the others in pieces; some were recovered even outside Delhi, sources said.
Scrap dealers bought the gamma irradiator machine from Delhi University’s chemistry department that decided to auction the machine as it had not been used for 40 years. The machine contained Cobalt-60 pencils. The scrap dealers were exposed to radiation when they broke open the machine’s lead cover.
Although top Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) officers said no other unchecked radioactive sources had been found on the university campus, the crisis was one of India’s worst ever radiation leaks. Delhi University faces severe punishment for violating basic safety rules in the disposal of radioactive material.
“The AERB team has inspected the campus. There have been several allegations. But we have not found any other (unchecked) radioactive material on the campus,” said AERB Secretary Om Pal Singh.
Delhi University, which has apologised for illegally auctioning the lab machine that contained Cobalt-60, has been served a show-cause notice and asked to suspend use of other radioactive material. The university has been given two weeks to submit a report explaining the chain of events.
“The show-cause notice demands a written explanation from Delhi University on why it failed to follow rules pertaining to the disposal of radioactive material. We will decide how to penalise the university after we get the report,” Singh said.
The University Grants Commission has set up a five-member committee to come up with comprehensive guidelines on the use and disposal of hazardous material. This was done at the behest of Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal.
The Mumbai-based AERB deals with certification and disposal of radioactive material, but does not monitor whether disposal rules are being followed. Delhi has now asked the environmental group Chintan to conduct a study on all kinds of waste generated in the capital, and how disposal chains work.
Source: Press Trust of India, May 5, 2010
The Indian Express, May 5, 2010
http://www.ndtv.com, May 2010