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Impact of radiation on workers ignored in India’s Nuclear Liability Bill

In its haste to introduce the N-liability bill, the government ignored the health ministry

(India) Nuclear liability bill silent on impact of radiation on plant workers, Daily News and Analysis, (DNA)  , Aug 19, 2010, By Vineeta Pandey | One basic problem with a nuclear installation is radiation, which affects the health of workers at the plant and the people living around it. Yet this factor has been completely ignored in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill. Instead, the focus is on a worst-case scenario — compensation in case of a nuclear disaster.

In its haste to introduce the N-liability bill, the government ignored the health ministry and overlooked important suggestions from other ministries.

“Forget drafting, we were not even consulted before the bill was sent to the Cabinet for approval,” health secretary K Sujatha Rao told DNA. Rao had appeared before the parliamentary standing committee that sought the health ministry’s opinion on the bill.

The health secretary told the committee that there was not a single clause in the bill that talked of healthcare during radiological emergencies. The ministry said it would have sought adding a clause for free treatment of potential patients, a view supported by many other ministries, but ignored during drafting.

Rao also told the committee that the government was not equipped to handle large-scale nuclear emergencies and her ministry won’t be able to meet any eventuality that may arise out of nuclear and radiological emergencies.

“Since hospitals are not well-equipped to deal with such emergencies, it is natural that mortality and morbidity due to multiple burns, blasts, radiation injuries and psycho-social impact could be on a very high scale,” she said…..

Nuclear liability bill silent on impact of radiation on plant workers – India – DNA

August 19, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, India | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive