Centre’s Move To Set Up Nuke Medicine Facility In Imphal Lauded

New Delhi: Member of Parliament Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh has lauded the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology and Forest to open a nuclear medicine facility and Gamma Irradiation Chamber at Imphal, on the second day of meeting of the newly constituted committee chaired by Jairam Ramesh, Chairman of the panel constituted by nine members from the Rajya Sabha and 31 members from the Lok Sabha, stated a release.

He also pointed out that the rise in cancer incidences in the State leads to the draining out of significant amount of money of the populace from the State. MP Ranjan Singh also shared his views on the opening of a replica of the TATA Memorial Hospital like the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Sangrur at Punjab, (under the administrative control of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and Punjab State Government) at Imphal and its hub and model in every district of Manipur to reduce the cost of treatment of patients having to go outside the State.

Dr. RK Ranjan also proposed to establish a Nuclear Reactor at Meghalaya as the State is the third uranium-rich State in the country after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. The State accounts for 16 per cent of India’s uranium reserves, with deposits estimated to be around 9,500 tonne and 4,000 tonne at Domiasiat and Wakhyn — both in the West Khasi hills region.

The MP also suggested of expanding the scope of the Manipur Central University to more atomic-based academic research activities, application of a gamma chamber and strengthen radiation biology. It was decided to introduce an exhibition programme in Manipur on the research work done by the BARC(Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) of India’s premier nuclear research facility, in Trombay, Mumbai, for awareness of the students, researchers on the applications of nuclear energy in power generation and others applications.

During the meeting, Dr. Ranjan Singh recalled that the State had experienced an earthquake of the magnitude of 8+ on the Richter scale in the past; and he draw the attention of the House committee to set up a Seismological Observatory point at Manipur University and to upgrade it subsequently to a permanent institution to bring together all seismology-related activities under one umbrella. As the region falls in the high seismicity attributed to the collision tectonics between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate in the north and subduction tectonics along the Indo-Myanmar range, such an observatory is of utmost significance, he pointed out. Moreover, he stressed to the House committee for a special plan in the region to tackle landslides, especially in Manipur and Nagaland; and to have a system of monitoring mass land movement. He also called for installing all the necessary river flood warning system in the micro climatic zone through a proper networking system in order to tackle damages of such natural calamities, stated a release.