No radiation checks at Mumbai airport for passengers travelling from Japan

Mumbai: While extensive screening of passengers, bags, cargo and even aircraft from Japan, which is in the midst of a nuclear meltdown, is being carried out at airports in countries like the United States, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan, no such provisions have been made at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
This, despite the countries reporting instances of passengers and cargo being exposed to high levels of radioactivity in the past week.
26 people arriving from the quake-hit country tested positive for unsafe levels of radiation exposure in Taiwan and authorities in South Korea reported unusually high radiation levels on three passengers.
Malaysia, which has been screening air passengers, bags and aircraft since Monday, said it will begin screenings at seaports as well.
In the US, a trace of radiation was found on cargo aboard a United Airlines jetliner from Tokyo on Wednesday, but officials said the amount was not harmful.
The US Customs and Border Protection said it was monitoring developments in Japan and checking for radiation contamination on aircraft entering the United States.
Speaking to MiD DAY, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said, "The Union Home Ministry has already instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to carry out extensive screening of passengers flying in from Japan and that similar screening should be done in Kolkata, Bangalore and other airports."
Union Civil Aviation Secretary Naseem Zaidi said in a text message, "NDMA is coordinating with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at Mumbai and Delhi for passenger coming directly from Japan. Ministry of Civil Aviation is providing assistance at airports."
However no such screening is being conducted at any airport in the country except for Delhi, where officials from the NDMA are doing it.
19/03/11 Vinod Kumar Menon and Bipin Kumar Singh/MiD DAY

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Mar 2011