India to set up radiation detection equipment at 8 land ports on Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal borders

The Indian government has taken the initiative to install radiation detection equipment (RDE) at eight land crossing points along the country's borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and Nepal to check the trafficking of radioactive materials for its possible use in making nuclear devices.

The RDE will be installed at the Integrated Check Posts (ICP) and land ports of Petrapole, Agartala, Dawki, Sutarkandi, Attari, Raxaul, Jogbani and Moreh, reports the Deccan Herald. 

According to officials, any smuggling of radioactive material could be a challenge for India's security agencies as it could be used for making nuclear devices or radiological dispersal devices.

The RDE will be installed in a drive-through monitoring station that monitors trucks and their cargo. It will have the ability to differentiate between special nuclear material and naturally occurring radiation in fertiliser or ceramics as well as high-energy gamma isotopes which are an attribute of recycled uranium.

Indian security agencies could use the RDE to monitor cross-border cargo movement.

The Indian government is believed to have taken technical help from a few foreign agencies, including those from the United States, in installing the RDE.