Nuclear disaster

• A nuclear Disaster is a mishap in any nuclear facility of the nuclear fuel cycle comprising the nuclear reactor or in a facility using radioactive sources, resulting in a large-scale release of radioactivity in the environment.
• Nuclear and Radiological Emergency can appear in a nuclear facility at plant level ruling to plant/ site or offsite emergency depending upon the extent of its effect on the surroundings. It can also occur while using radiation sources at hospitals, agriculture, industries, or research institutions because of the loss, misplacement, or improper handling.
• The other circumstances that can lead to Nuclear or Radiological Emergency in the public domain:
  • Accident of a vehicle carrying radioactive/ nuclear material due to an orphan source, i.e., the source which is not under the regulatory authority or
  • Usage of radiation source/radioactive material in unethical activities.
• However, nuclear emergencies can still appear because of factors beyond the control of the operating agencies, e.g., system failure, human error, sabotage, earthquake, cyclone, flood, etc. Such failures may result in an on-site or off-site emergency.

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How to Combat Nuclear Disaster?

• Many system upgrades have been planned to mitigate and prevent such emergencies. However, proper emergency preparedness plans must be in place to achieve the minimum avoidable loss of life, livelihood, property, and environmental impact.
• Preparedness at Nuclear Facilities: The chances of mishaps at nuclear facilities are always considered to be negligibly small. However, the prompt and effective implementation of countermeasures can decrease the radiological outcomes.
• Preparedness for Nuclear Emergencies: It requires coordination among different service groups of the nuclear facility. In the event of potential radiological outcomes in the public sector, all the authorities at the three levels, i.e., district, state, and central, will play a vital role and help the offsite officials. They respond to and keep the public informed on the precautions.
• Primary Responsibilities of Nuclear Power Plant Operators: This includes the arrangements needed to promptly classify an emergency, mitigate the crisis, notify and recommend protective actions of the site consistent with international guidelines, protect those on-site, obtain off-site help, conduct environmental monitoring of the affected area and assist off-site officials in keeping the public informed.
• Nuclear potentiality in India accepts internationally accepted guidelines for ensuring their safe operation and safety to the public and the environment.
• Primary Responsibilities of Off-Site Officials: This comprises the arrangements needed to promptly implement protective actions and countermeasures in the affected region.
• Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Power Plants: Before the issuance of a license for the operation of a nuclear facility, the authority must ensure:
• The facility has the Emergency Response Manuals for the following chief kinds of emergencies: plant emergency, on-site emergency, and off-site emergency.
• The plans are in place to grasp these types of emergencies.
• Plant Emergency: This type of emergency occurs when the radiological outcomes of an abnormal situation are expected to remain confined to the plant boundary or a fraction of the plant.
• A plant emergency is an unexpected, unforeseen condition that potentially terrorizes employees, customers, or the public, disrupts or shuts down the operations, and causes physical or environmental damage that requires immediate action.
  • Form of emergency operating procedures to assess an emergency condition in a plant and its mitigation,
  • Pre-identify any provision-specific, abnormal circumstances for classification of a plant and site crisis,
  • Rescue teams, immediate activation of a treatment area, and decontamination centre were formed,
  • Radiation survey outside and around the plant and boundaries of the site,
  • Assessment of the speed and direction of the wind and the affected part around the nuclear facility,
  • Materials and equipment for a  nuclear emergency are placed at a defined or specific nuclear facility site and ERC (Emergency Response Centre).

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• On-Site Emergencies: If an accident/incident happens in a factory, its consequences are confined to the factory premises, involving only the persons working in the factory and the property in the factory. It is called an On-site Emergency.
• We should ensure the following additional provisions in this emergency and the requirements applicable in a plant emergency. We should provide the following other conditions.
  • Assessment of the radiological conditions within the site boundary of the nuclear facility by an extensive radiological survey,
  • Appropriate prevention is to be made available at all assembly areas for administration to plant personnel if the situation demands,
  • If needed, identify temporary shelters for shifting plant personnel within the facility/site.
  • Allocating a fleet of vehicles to evacuate plant personnel to a safer area from the site.
  • On sensing the potential of radioactivity release, which can transgress into the public sector, the related district authorities are alerted to be on standby for emergency operations in the public sector.
• Off-Site Emergencies: If the mishap is such that it affects the interior of the factory and is not under control, and it may spread outside the factory premises, it is termed an Off-site Emergency.
• On identifying the potential for an unrestrained release of radioactivity into the public domain, the concerned district authorities are alerted to be on standby for emergency response operations. In addition to all the provisions applicable to in-plant emergency and site emergency, the following additional conditions are to be considered:
  • Pre-identification of plant conditions can lead to an emergency in the public sector.
    • Type of emergency facilities/ actions needed from external bodies:
    • Firefighting facilities needed: Factory will have its fire fighting equipment, but the fire brigade may be called in an emergency.
    • Police help needed in emergency for evacuation of the people, traffic control security arrangements, etc., will be available.
    • Medical help needed: seriously harmed personnel may be sent to the local Hospital/Nursing Home/ ESI Hospital depending upon the seriousness and type of injuries.
  • An assessment of the radiological status at the site boundary and in the public sector.
  • All the activities related to handling an off-site emergency are trained and coordinated from a pre-fabricated emergency response centre situated outside the boundary of the nuclear facility.

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Role of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):

• IAEA was raised as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the family of the  United Nations. Safeguards are schemes or tasks by which the IAEA can affirm that a State is living up to its international commitments not to use nuclear programmes for nuclear- weapons purposes.
• Today, the IAEA shelters nuclear material and activities under agreements with more than 140 States.
• The IAEA aids the Member States by establishing international safety standards and providing for their application in all types of nuclear installations (power reactors, research reactors, and fuel cycle facilities) throughout their whole life cycle – from design through decommissioning.
• Within the world’s nuclear non-proliferation power, the IAEA’s safeguards system is concerned as a confidence-building measure, a prompt warning mechanism, and the trigger that sets in motion other feedback by the international community if and when the requirement arises.
• One of the founding members of the IAEA is India. And as of 2019, India has put 26 reactors under the IAEA safeguards.
• India has also become the 35th country to join the IAEA Response and Assistance Network (RANET), a group of states which offer assistance to mitigate the consequences of nuclear or radiological emergencies.