NB Explains | India to install radiation detection equipment at eight border crossings
The RDE will be installed at the Integrated Check Posts (ICP) and land ports of Petrapole, Agartala, Dawki, Sutarkandi, Attari, Raxaul, Jogbani and Moreh, reports the Deccan Herald.
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The Indian government has taken the initiative to install radiation detection equipment (RDE) at eight land crossing points along the country's borders to check the trafficking of radioactive materials for its possible use in making nuclear devices.
Where it is going to be install?
The RDE will be installed at the Integrated Check Posts (ICP) and land ports of Petrapole, Agartala, Dawki, Sutarkandi, Attari, Raxaul, Jogbani and Moreh, reports the Deccan Herald.
The government has awarded a work order for the supply, installation and maintenance of RDE at eight operational ICPs under a contract signed last year.
The vendor will deliver the equipment and complete the installation process soon.The RDE was established by the central government to put an end to the illegal trafficking of radioactive materials across international borders. It is well known that there is a lot of cross-border movement of people and goods in the eight ICPs.
The RDE will be installed in a drive-through monitoring station that monitors trucks and their cargo. It will have the ability to differentiate between special nuclear material and naturally occurring radiation in fertiliser or ceramics as well as high-energy gamma isotopes which are an attribute of recycled uranium.
"The RDE is equipped to trigger separate gamma and neutron radiation alarms and generate video images of suspicious objects," the official said.
Moreover, it will have the ability to differentiate between distinct nuclear material and naturally occurring radiation present in ceramics or fertilizers, as well as high-energy gamma isotopes, which are a distinguishing feature of recycled uranium.
Why it is important?
According to officials, any smuggling of radioactive material could be a challenge for India's security agencies as it could be used for making nuclear devices or radiological dispersal devices.
Indian security agencies could use the RDE to monitor cross-border cargo movement. The Indian government is believed to have taken technical help from a few foreign agencies, including those from the United States, in installing the RDE.
