Mayapuri clear of radiation hotspots, claims Greenpeace

A week after it claimed to have identified six "hotspots" with dangerous levels of radiation at the Mayapuri scrap market, international NGO Greenpeace today said the place was clear of all radioactive elements.

A week after it claimed to have identified six "hotspots" with dangerous levels of radiation at the Mayapuri scrap market, international NGO Greenpeace today said the place was clear of all radioactive elements.

HT Image

Nuclear experts from Greenpeace visited the scrap market, where exposure to Cobalt-60 claimed one life and injured eight others in April, today to check the levels of radiation after a decontamination effort by government authorities over the weekend.

"From our measurements, we can conclude that the hotspots have been removed," Jan Vande Putte, a nuclear expert with Greenpeace told reporters here.

Last week, Greenpeace had claimed to have identified the six "hotspots" with dangerous levels of radiation, including two places which had levels higher than 5,000 times the normal background.

However, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) sought to downplay its claims, asserting that the contamination in local spots could not pose any health detriment.

Greenpeace campaigner Karuna Raina said the AERB has to be more transparent while dealing with cases of radiation and must publish its comprehensive assessment of the situation.