Radioactive material found in AMU

Find triggers panic in varsity, among residents

The varsity officials on Monday, however, claimed that it did not pose any threat. “The radioactive sources was traced to a closed room in the physics department in the AMU”, varsity officials said.

No threat

“Since the radioactive source is stored in a closed room the chances of any leakage are almost non-existent and therefore the University community and the citizens of Aligarh city should not panic”, AMU vice-chancellor Prof P K Abdu Azis said quoting the Radioactive Safety Officer S A Hussain.

To assure the varsity community and the citizens of the city, the VC had contacted Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Safety Division.

The Board had also agreed to send an expert team soon to the campus to survey and screen all the radioactive sources that are stored and being used for treatment and research purposes, he said.

Prof Azis said that the University has taken a proactive initiative and constituted a committee to look into the present status pertaining to the procurement, storage, utilisation and disposal of radioactive and other hazardous material/chemicals in various departments of the University, as required by the University Grants Commission.

The eight members committee under the Chairmanship of Prof Pervez Qamar Rizvi, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences shall visit all user departments of studies and submit its report to the vice chancellor within three days, he added.