Radiation Death Leads to Delhi University

Discussion in 'Places & Events in Delhi' started by anandisingh, May 3, 2010.

  1. anandisingh

    anandisingh Senior IL'ite

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    Friends,

    This is frightening, isn’t it!! I was indeed stunned when I knew about it!! Mayapuri was shocked in the first week of April when eleven people were admitted to hospitals after they were exposed to radiation.

    The origin of the radioactive Cobalt-60 whisch was found in this west Delhi locality, which even led to the unfortunate death of one person, has been traced to Delhi University’s Chemistry Department, where it is believed to lay unused for the last twenty five years.

    The Cobalt-60, it is being told, was in a “Gamma Irradiator”, which was purchased in 1968 from Canada.

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  2. amritasharma

    amritasharma Senior IL'ite

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    Anandi,
    It is indeed shocking.

    According to the police, the Gamma Irradiator was not in use since 1985. It was sold off to scrap dealers through an auction in February this year.
    The Mayapuri-based scrap dealers dismantled the equipment. While doing so, the lead covering on it was peeled off and this led to radiation exposure.

    Ajay Kashyap, the joint commissioner of police, said, “We have traced the radioactive material to Delhi University’s Chemistry department.”

    The four workers, who were hospitalized, were shown pictures of the equipment and one of them identified it.

    It was an unfortunate incident which led to the death of one of the scrap workers.
    :shock:
     
  3. JayaRawat

    JayaRawat Senior IL'ite

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    Hi Friends,

    Can we leave it at just that—just an unfortunate incident?? Don’t you think DU was irresponsible in selling off such an equipment to laymen, without any warning or instruction. If the Chemistry Department of one of the leading Universities of the country behaves in such a callous manner, is it not annoying and infuriating?

    Facing the heat from a number of quarters, DU had to announce compensation for the six men affected by the radioactive material.

    I read in a news report that DU will also be providing a job to the family members of the person who lost his life due to the radioactive material sold by DU.
     
  4. MadhujaJ

    MadhujaJ Senior IL'ite

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    Yes, Jaya I too read that in a newsreport. The University Registrar, Mr A K Sinka had announced Rs 8 lakh as compensation to Rajendra Prasad, i.e. the victim’s family. His widow is also being promised a job in the University campus. Five other victims who were hospitalized have been promised a compensation amount of Rs 2 lakh each.

    The AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) has served a Show Cause notice on DU seeking explanation as to why the basic precautionary rules were ignored. DU gets a two-week time to respond to this.

    I hope other similar institutions of the country will learn a lesson from this incident.
     
  5. amritasharma

    amritasharma Senior IL'ite

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    Friends,

    I was reading an article yesterday, which said that no new radiation source has been found on the DU campus. This was announced by Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental.

    According to him, the AERB team had already run a detailed survey of the area. The campus area has been screned thoroughly and no abnormal radiation level was found around the place. AERB has begun its investigation on Saturday, May 1.

    The Vice Chancellor of DU has said that the University is compiling answers to the queries raised by the AERB and that the anwers will be submitted by the beginning of the current week.

    Computer Typing
     
  6. MamtaAgr

    MamtaAgr New IL'ite

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    I read that a storekeeper warned the science professors against this threat !!
     

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