ISLAMABAD, July 17: Speakers at a seminar on Monday did not rule out the possibility of health hazards out of nuclear activities in Dera Ghazi Khan. However, they said, no such scientific evidence could be found there.

The seminar on “nuclear waste management” was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

“DG Khan is one of the biggest locations of nuclear facilities in the country,” said Shahid ur Rehman, a journalist for Kyodo News Agency (Japan) and the author of the book “Long Road to Chaghi”.

“There may not be scientific data available for people dying of cancer, birth defects, blindness and other harms to surrounding environments and communities. But the danger of possible harm from regulation related issues cannot be ruled out,” he said.

In the mining days, uranium was extracted from mines at Baghal Chor, 65 kilometres from DG Khan. It was brought to .0uranium mill and refinery at DG Khan for processing. The mine at Baghal Chor was closed in 1999-2000. But the mill and refinery were still operating there, said Mr Rehman.

“Many people did not know what went on in these nuclear installations until 1998 when Pakistan tested its nuclear capability,” he said.

Although none of the nuclear installations at DG Khan come under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, Mr Rehman did not doubt Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission’s (PAEC) capacity to ensure security of nuclear facilities and safety of the personnel working in these installations.

“Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PRNA) and Directorate of Safety (set up in 2001) are two bodies established by PAEC to ensure safety and security of nuclear installations and handling of hazardous materials,” said the speaker.

He said that PAEC had a good record when it came to safety procedures. “Pakistan’s security record is much better than India. The only nuclear accident that happened in Pakistan was in the 1970s when heavy water leaked at Karachi Nuclear Power Plant.”

Speaking on the occasion, Zaffar Nawaz Jaspal a researcher at the Quaid-i-Azam said: “The DG Khan nuclear issue has been made too sensational in the media. It needs to be identified if nuclear activities really are hazardous to the surrounding environment and causing harm to the people.”

He said that it was the government’s responsibility to manage nuclear waste and not to politicise the issue for vested interests. “Criticism should be meaningful. So far no evidence is available to prove that people were developing cancer and deformed babies were being born in regions close to these installations.”

Speakers noted that lack of information could cause misunderstandings. It was the government’s responsibility to inform people about dangers from nuclear radiation and the best measures to adopt in case of nuclear accidents. None of these was being done.

Speakers stressed that it was people’s right to know about uranium processing sites and nuclear dump locations for their own knowledge and but were kept hidden.