‘Mishandling’ of radioactive material by India worrying

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan on Tuesday voiced concerns over India’s nuclear safety and security protocols, citing multiple ‘alarming’ incidents involving the theft and illicit sale of nuclear and other radioactive materials that pose a threat to regional and global security.
The statement came days after Indian police arrested three individuals in the Bihar state for illegally possessing 50 grams of radioactive californium worth 8.5 billion Indian rupees (over $100 million), according to the Times of India. The sale and purchase of californium are prohibited in India.
Pakistan has also expre­ssed its concern over similar incidents in the past, including in 2021, when three instances of seizure of stolen radioactive material were reported in India in four months.
“Pakistan is gravely concerned at the reports of recurring incidents of theft and illicit sale of nuclear and other radioactive materials in India,” the Foreign Office said.
“In the latest incident, a gang of individuals were found in illegal possession of a highly radioactive and toxic substance californium, worth US$100 million in quantity,” it added.
This incident is said to be part of a pattern, with three similar thefts previously reported in 2021 alone. Moreover, last mon­th, authorities in Dehradun in India’s Uttarakhand state detained five individuals found in possession of a radioactive device allegedly stolen from India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
“These recurring incidents call into question the measures taken by New Delhi for the safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive material,” the Foreign Office said. It also pointed to the potential existence of a black market for sensitive, dual-use materials within India.
The Foreign Office urged the Indian government to provide an open and detailed account of how sealed radioactive source materials, such as californium, could fall into unauthorised hands. “It is dangerous for such sensitive material in India to be routinely found in the wrong hands,” the statement added.
The Foreign Office dem­anded a thoro­ugh investigation of these incidents and assurances from India that it would take adequate steps to prevent future occurrences.
Californium — which has the chemical symbol Cf and atomic number 98 — is one of the 24 known synthetic chemical elements that do not occur naturally on Earth.
It’s a very strong neutron emitter and used in portable metal detectors, to identify gold and silver ores, to identify water and oil layers in oil wells and to detect metal fatigue and stress in aeroplanes, according to the London-based Royal Society of Chemistry. Californium has no known biological role and is toxic due to its radioactivity.
In May 2021, Indian police arrested two men in the western Maharashtra state for illegally possessing over seven kilograms of natural uranium. Within a month, Jharkhand police arrested seven people and seized 6.4kg of uranium from their possession.
The third incident that year involved four mineral-like rocks weighing 250.5gm, which were believed to be californium.
In November 2021, the Foreign Office rejected Indian claims about the seizure of a potentially radioactive consignment on board a vessel that originated from Karachi. It clarified that the shipment contained empty containers that had previously been used for shipping fuel for K-2 and K-3 nuclear power plants.
Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2024