Nuclear and radiological threats and emergency preparedness at national level

Nuclear accidents of Chernobyl and Kystium, radiological accident of Goiania and Lilo, crash of Cosmos satellite, nuclear weapon accident at Polaris, etc have lead to release of radioactivity to the environment/radiation exposure to a few persons. But, the actual consequences of these accidents were no match to the psychological impact they have created in the human minds. After the World Trade Center (WTC) attack in New York, the fear about the usage of Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) by terrorists, though it was never used, is very high. Identifying the potential threats of nuclear and radiological emergencies and developing the response capability at national level to quickly assess the consequences, and implement the required protective measures is an urgent requirement which is being addressed by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and most of their Member States. In India, 18 DAE-Emergency Response Centres are established with trained Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) consisting of state of the art monitoring systems, methodology for quick assessment of radiological status and GIS supported impact assessment programs for the decision makers etc., to strengthen our preparedness. However, there is scope for improvement to ensure the quick availability of trained 'First Responders' and other resources if any nuclear or radiological emergencies occur anywhere in the country. Since the consequences of a 'planned threat by enemies of the nation' may be larger than most of the postulated accidents, Emergency Response Centres (ERCs) with trained Emergency Response Teams (ERTs), monitoring systems and protective equipment are to be maintained at many locations spread over the country. (author)