Rattled by radiation accident in the Mayapuri area of New Delhi that had claimed one life last year, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has decided to set up a mobile radiation detection system comprising equipped vans across the country with Mumbai alone getting 70 such vans.
Vice-chairman of the NDMA M Shashidhar Reddy said there is a proposal to set up 1000 such vans across the country. They will be maintained in all urban cities. “Mumbai city will get 70 such vans that will be parked at police stations. These vans will be well-equipped with trained personnel to tackle such incidents. This was prompted after the Mayapuri incident in Delhi in which one person had died and others injured,” he said.
A radioactive material Cobalt-60, used in fabrication work, specially for welding steel, had affected people in a scrap shop last year. “There are various such materials in use at colleges etc and we call them orphan radiation. The vans will be equipped to handle any accidents,” he added.
