Atomic Energy Regulatory Board experts inspect Delhi university's radioactive material store room

Nuclear experts today inspected the Delhi University's radioactive material storage room after the varsity, which has drawn flak for its handling of such materials following Mayapuri radiation exposure incident, reported seepage of rainwater.

The experts of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) began their examination in the Physics Department premises at
around 1 pm after water was found inside a pit where
radioactive materials were stored.

"There were minor discrepancies in the pit. But there is nothing to fear from the security point of view. We have fixed the problem," Raju Kumar of AERB told reporters after the four-hour-long examination.

"The officials inspected the Source Room where the radioactive materials are being kept. The pit where the sources are kept is filled with rain water for the past few days," a senior official said.

The Delhi University is in the eye of a storm after it came to light that radioactive Cobalt-60, which led to radiation exposure to 11 people, including one who died, in Mayapuri scrap market originated from the varsity which auctioned a Gamma Irradiator to a scrap dealer.

Meanwhile, a former Delhi University professor Ramesh Chandra expressed apprehension that two-three arsene and phosgene gas cylinders could have been "accidentally sold off" to scrap dealers.

"If five kg of Arsene gas gets released in air, not even a bird could survive in two km radius," he said. 

The gas cylinders were kept in a DU hall after 1944.    

Chandra held Delhi University vice-chancellor accountable for "irrational" dumping of radioactive wastes and claimed guidelines for handling hazardous substances are "rarely followed" in the campus. 

"Instead of handing over the hazardous material to BARC for proper disposal, they just buried it," he claimed.