DRDO develops mobile lab to screen troops in nuclear scenario

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5

With threat perception of terrorists using weapons of mass destruction increasing, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a mobile truck mounted laboratory to screen troops in the field from the after effects of radiation and initiate remedial measures.

The chamber, termed as Mobile Whole Body Counter (MWBC) will do away with the necessity and the logistic impediment of evacuating soldiers from operational areas to rear echelons.

According to a bulletin issued by DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), in case of radiological and nuclear accidents, some radio-nuclides are released, which contaminate the environment for extended periods of time due to their long life. Stating that terrorists are fast graduating towards chemical, biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) terrorism and since Indian forces are constantly engaged in anti-terrorist and internal security duties in Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East and Maoist affected areas, the bulletin claims that the chances of use of radiation dispersal devices (RDD) by terrorists on Army installations are high.

Consequently, in order to keep soldiers fighting fit in the event of use of RDDs by terrorist outfits, each soldier suspected of being affected by radiation will be required to screen for radioactive contamination. This would help mitigate any panic in the unit concerned as well monitor therapeutic response.