How safe are Indian Nuclear Assets?

[Side-Winder]

India’s past record presents a number of security lapses in accordance to its nuclear plants and sensitive radioactive material showing that this is part of their regular feature, not to mention USZ shows a similar trend but right now we’ll be dealing with our unbelievably friendly neighbour, a.k.a India.



• June, 2012. Two contractual workers at the Rawatbhata Atomic Power Station in Rajasthan are under treatment for exposure to radioactive tritium following a leak inside the plant on June 23. The two workers, along with 36 others, were carrying out annual maintenance work when the leak was detected. While the employees were evacuated immediately, higher levels of exposure were detected in two workers.
Two suffer tritium exposure at n-plant - Indian Express

• July, 2012. More than 40 workers at a nuclear power station in northern India have been exposed to tritium radiation in two separate leaks in the past five weeks, company managers said on Tuesday.

The first accident occurred on June 23 when 38 people were exposed during maintenance work on a coolant channel at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station in Rawatbhata, senior plant manager Vinod Kumar told AFP.

http://news.yahoo.com/40-india-nuclear-plant-workers-contaminated-firm-171419175.html



• On July 14, 2010, a chlorine gas leakage surrounded the city of Mumbai in panic and alarm causing over 80 people to be taken to hospitals in critical condition. Caused by leakage of chlorine gas cylinders that were to be part of a consignment to be transported to chemical industries to manufacture biological and chemical weapons.

Chlorine gas leak in Mumbai, 78 hospitalized | NDTV.com

• On 7 December 2009, Mumbai police arrested three men with unspecified amount of uranium.

• In the end of November 2009, more than 90 Indian workers suffered radiation due to contamination of drinking water at the Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnata.

• On 19 February 2008 Bihar Police seized around 4 Kg of uranium after they arrested a gang of smugglers near Nepal's border.



• In December 2006, a container packed with radioactive material had been stolen from Indian fortified research atomic facility near Mumbai.



• In December 2005, USZ imposed sanctions on two Indian firms for selling missile goods and chemical arms material to Iran in violation of India’s commitment to prevent proliferation. In the same year, Indian scientists, Dr.Surender and Y.S.R Prasad had been blacklisted by Washington due to their involvement in nuclear theft.

US imposes sanctions on two Indian scientists under anti-proliferation laws | Asian Tribune



• In February 2004, India’s ambassador to Libya, Dinkar Sirivastava revealed that New Delhi was investigating that retired Indian scientists could possibly be engaged in high technology programs for financial gains during employment in the Libyan government.



• On January 26, 2003, CNN pointed out that Indian company, NEC Engineers Private Ltd. Shipped 10 consignments to Iraq, containing highly sensitive equipment entailing titanium vessels and centrifugal pumps.

• On November 7, 2000, International Atomic Agency disclosed that Indian police had seized 57 pounds of uranium and arrested two men for elicit trafficking of radioactive material. IAEA had said that Indian civil nuclear facilities were vulnerable to thefts.http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/south/01/25/sprj.india.iraq/• On 27 August 2001 the West Bengal policed arrested two men with more than 200 grams of semi-processed uranium. Intelligence reports suggested the existence of an active uranium smuggling racket in West Bengal.• On 1 May 2000 Mumbai police seized 8.3 Kg of uranium. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the Indian police seized three uranium rods and arrested eight persons on charges of illicit trafficking of nuclear material on 13 November 2000. Earlier, on 7 November 2000, according to the IAEA, the Indian police had seized 57 pounds of uranium and arrested two men on charges of illicit trafficking of radioactive material. In July 1998 India’s CBI seized 8 Kg of nuclear material from three engineers in Chennai.



• In the late 1990s the country’s nuclear facilities recorded at least 134 mishaps, or what they termed “Safety Related Unusual Occurrences”. In 1998 the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board claimed that 28 of these incidents occurred in nine nuclear power stations, but none were serious. Five of these, however, including a fire, led to plant closures.

• In July 1998, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation seized 8 kg of nuclear material from three engineers in Chennai. It was reported that the uranium was stolen from an atomic research centre. The case still remains pending.

• In 1997, such “Safety Related Unusual Occurrence” led to the death of a scientist after exposure to poisonous gas at a heavy water plant in Andhra Pradesh state.• In 1992 a major radioactive leak from ill-maintained pipelines near the Cirus and Dhruva reactor complex at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center near Mumbai was found to have caused severe soil contamination affecting people living nearby.



• On July 27, 1991, at the heavy water plant run by the Department of Atomic Energy at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan Nuclear radiation had affected and injured many labourers there.• Two to three tons of heavy water leaked out of an atomic reactor in western India on 5 August 1981.

Almost, 160 cases have been registered of theft, smuggling, loss or misplacement of radioactive source in local police records. Nearly 20,000 radioactive sources are used throughout India of which about 900 are particularly worrisome. These missed or stolen radioactive materials can be used by terrorists for making “Radiological Dispersion Devices”, which can create havoc. This shows that India’s Atomic Energy Commission has no control and proper record and monitoring of these radioactive materials. They have no proper equipment for the detection of these radioactive materials and to check their illicit trafficking at the border areas. This can be dangerous for the neighbouring countries as well.

I found it somewhere and wanted to know how much safe are the indian nuclear assets? while there is always a rant about unsafety of pakistani nuclear assets.

 

[EagleEyes]

Indian have confirmed that safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons is top notch, but Pakistan has yet to do the same.

 

[Side-Winder]

Indian have confirmed that safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons is top notch, but Pakistan has yet to do the same.

Time and again they come back to their original stance, like happened after attack on mehran naval base.

 

[Assault Rifle]

Lol
All the accidents above happened in civilian nuke power plants & not security failure.

As for the arrests with uranium investigators revealed they were obtained from private corp making medical equipment or other equipment which req uranium for use by civilian industries.
BTW WHAt has cl2 leak got to do with nuke security?

The proof of Indian nuke weapons safety is that no report by US intel questioned India's weapons safety.

 

[applesauce]

Lol
All the accidents above happened in civilian nuke power plants & not security failure.

As for the arrests with uranium investigators revealed they were obtained from private corp making medical equipment or other equipment which req uranium for use by civilian industries.
BTW WHAt has cl2 leak got to do with nuke security?

The proof of Indian nuke weapons safety is that no report by US intel questioned India's weapons safety.

"report by US intel" isnt everything, The US overlooks the Isreali bombs all the time, does this mean Isreal has no nukes?

 

[janon]

"report by US intel" isnt everything, The US overlooks the Isreali bombs all the time, does this mean Isreal has no nukes?

Are you suggesting that US would similarly overlook India's lack of safety? Who's certification do you want, martians?

If Indian nukes are not safe, come steal them. Until then, stop spreading malicious propoganda. As of now, the only country in the region who's most protected military bases have been infiltrated time and again, is not India. 

Time and again they come back to their original stance, like happened after attack on mehran naval base.

Because time and again, pak's most sensitive bases get infiltrated and prized assets blown up. Mehran, Kamra, GHQ...

 

[Ammyy]

Accident on sites and falling these weapons at hand on terrorists groups are two totally different thing.

Only idiots can compare both.. Pakistan cant even safe guard their military, navy base from these terrorists thats why this question of nuke safety arise.

 

[applesauce]

Are you suggesting that US would similarly overlook India's lack of safety? Who's certification do you want, martians?

If Indian nukes are not safe, come steal them. Until then, stop spreading malicious propoganda. As of now, the only country in the region who's most protected military bases have been infiltrated time and again, is not India. 

my posts says nothing more than whats written there. The US intel is not the judge that gets the final say in whose program is safe and whose is not. I made no assertions about whether india's program is safe or unsafe

 

[[Bregs]]

Indian civilian nuclear plants are pretty safe from any accidental or sabotage threats

 

[janon]

my posts says nothing more than whats written there. The US intel is not the judge that gets the final say in whose program is safe and whose is not. I made no assertions about whether india's program is safe or unsafe

And that is why I asked you who according to you is a proper judge of such things. If Indian authorities say that ouur nukes are safe, pakistanis won't believe it. And outsiders cannot access our secret facilities anyway. So for a question like this, who can give a satisfactory answer? If nobody can, then what is the point of asking this question, other than some back and forth on the forum?

BTW only the first two questions in my post were directed at you. The next statements were addressed to nobody in particular.

 

[GR!FF!N]

all of them are Civilian facilities..and accidents do happen.ask any country which use nuclear reactor..

 

[applesauce]

And that is why I asked you who according to you is a proper judge of such things. If Indian authorities say that ouur nukes are safe, pakistanis won't believe it. And outsiders cannot access our secret facilities anyway. So for a question like this, who can give a satisfactory answer? If nobody can, then what is the point of asking this question, other than some back and forth on the forum?

BTW only the first two questions in my post were directed at you. The next statements were addressed to nobody in particular.

its exactly because these things are not public that its hard to say whether they are truly safe or not, i dont profess to know the answer(i also did not ask the question or start this topic), As far as india or pakistan is concern i think both arsenals are well secured, for all the talk of terrorism and dictatorship, the pakistani military is not dysfunctional and perfectly capable of security, and india is not exactly falling apart either. the only time i would seriously worry is in a state collapse situation where the government or more importantly the military simply ceases to exist coherently(as oppose to coup where there is still a government and the military is intact). the only place where this might realistically happen, in my opinion(feel free to disagree) is north korea, but even there i believe the chance for the short to medium term is small.

 

[janon]

its exactly because these things are not public that its hard to say whether they are truly safe or not, i dont profess to know the answer(i also did not ask the question or start this topic), As far as india or pakistan is concern i think both arsenals are well secured, for all the talk of terrorism and dictatorship, the pakistani military is not dysfunctional and perfectly capable of security, and india is not exactly falling apart either. the only time i would seriously worry is in a state collapse situation where the government or more importantly the military simply ceases to exist coherently(as oppose to coup where there is still a government and the military is intact). the only place where this might realistically happen, in my opinion(feel free to disagree) is north korea, but even there i believe the chance for the short to medium term is small.

That was my point as well, that nobody can give a detailed answer to such a question, because not only are the nukes safely guarded, but the mechanism by which it is guarded is also a state secret. Nobody can comment on this question, so asking such a question on this forum (I know it wasn't you who asked it) is a waste of time or worse. The intention in writing articles like the OP is only to spread malicious propoganda, nothing more.

Even if a terrorist group somehow enters a secure nuclear facility, they will not be able to get the material, warhead and deliivery mechanism, and then use them all together. All these are stored in different locatiions in peacetime. Many people have to simultaneously approve a nuke strike and authorize launch codes.

Stealing a nuke and exploding it can only happen in fantasy.

A collapsing state is a different issue. If syria currently had nukes, that would have been a serious threat. But not in countries with a functioning govt and a professional military.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

@Side-Winder: absurd stuff you have come to peddle here. Is it born out of some "Research" or out of "Development" aka "Creative Imagination" ?

Most of the stuff that you have lifted and copy/pasted here deals with accidents that have occurred; like accidents at Fukushima or Three Mile Island.

The stuff that has been written about theft of "Uranium" is laughable ! The "Uranium" being talked about is Uranium Ore which are like lumps of rocks and can be found anywhere in remote tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh or Jharkhand among other places. And like rocks they can be used very well to break somebody's windows or somebody's Head. Unless Abdul Qadeer Khan can turn them into Bombs; in which case he will be confirmed to be a Djinn !
It is not fissile stuff or else those guys would have been glowing Green if they would have been alive.

Then is more of unsubtantiated clap-trap.

The thread is titled: How safe are Indian Nuclear Assets?
The short but clear answer to it is: Safer than Pakistan's Military Assets at GHQ, at PNS Mehran, at PAF Kamra and at ISI HQs.

Intriguingly; you have avoided attributing the source of this story. (Though I've seen it before)
Is it Ahmad Quraishi or Rupee/Chawanni News?

 

[AHAM BRIHMASMI]

^^^^ They are highly unsafe. Never ever dare to venture around them or you will be roasted alive.