India instals radiation detectors at 8 border points

To combat potential radioactive trafficking, the government will soon outfit eight key Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along India’s borders with Radiation Detection Equipment (RDE). This move specifically targets areas along the frontiers with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal.

These ICPs, including Attari, Petrapole, Agartala, Dawki, Sutarkandi, Raxaul, Jogbani, and Moreh, have significant cross-border movements. Officials emphasise the threat of trafficked radioactive material potentially being used to make nuclear or radiological dispersal devices.

The installation drive comes after a government agreement last year. The chosen vendor, whose identity remains undisclosed, will finalise the setup soon. The RDE units, positioned at drive-through monitoring stations, will primarily inspect trucks and their contents.

Each unit can raise specific alarms for gamma and neutron radiation and visually capture suspicious objects. Furthermore, it can discern between special nuclear material and naturally occurring radiation, like that in fertilisers.

Though foot traffic at Attari has seen a decrease due to strained relations with Pakistan, other ICPs remain busy. Security personnel will employ the RDE to scrutinise cross-border goods transport. Officials hinted at collaboration with foreign technical agencies, including from the United States, for the RDE’s installation.