HC tells Centre to declare mechanism to monitor radioactivity

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan also asked the government to make clear the mechanism adopted to regulate the radioactive material in hospital wastes by August 11.

The Bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) seeking a direction for installation of gamma radiation scanners in all scrap markets here following the Mayapuri radiation exposure incident.

The direction came on a PIL filed by advocate Pritika Kumar who sought a direction from the bench to the city government to seal the Mayapuri scrap market, where exposure to radioactive material Cobalt-60 in April had claimed one life while 11 other were taken ill, until the area was decontaminated.

The lawyer sought a direction to the government to put up sign boards in the market cautioning the area as dangerous for the people.

Seeking a direction to Centre, the petitioner said a survey should be conducted in all scrap markets in Delhi and gamma radiation scanners be installed to detect the presence of any radiation source.

Citing a report, the petitioner said that between the period 2003 and 2005, government had permitted Indian companies to export radioactive materials for various purposes.