Mayapuri

Mayapuri is an industrial locality in the West Delhi district of Delhi, India.[1] It used to be a major hub of heavy metal and small scale industries, but following government sanctions, most of the heavy metal industries moved out. The place is now a combination of light metal factories, scrap markets, and automobile service stations.[2] In 2010, a major radiation accident took place in the scrap yards of Mayapuri.

For the magazine, see Mayapuri (magazine).

Mayapuri
town
Mayapuri is located in Delhi
Mayapuri
Mayapuri
Location in Delhi, India
Coordinates: 28.627323°N 77.124109°E / 28.627323; 77.124109
Country India
StateDelhi
DistrictWest Delhi
Languages
 • OfficialHindi, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)

There are some famous landmarks in the area like the Food Corporation of India, Metal Forging and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. The area is connected with Delhi Metro by Mayapuri station. Mayapuri is also one of the major bus terminals for the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

2010 Mayapuri radiological accident

In the early April of 2010, Mayapuri was affected by a serious radiological accident.[3] An AECL Gammacell 220 research irradiator owned by Delhi University since 1968, but unused since 1985, was negligently sold at an auction to a scrap metal dealer in Mayapuri on 26 February 2010.[4][5][6] The orphan source arrived at the scrap yard in Mayapuri during March, where it was dismantled by workers unaware of the hazardous nature of the device. The cobalt-60 source was cut into eleven pieces. The smallest of the fragments was taken by Ajay Jain, one of the dealers, who kept it in his wallet; two fragments were moved to a nearby shop; and the remaining eight remained in the scrap yard. Eight people were hospitalized in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for radiation injuries, where one later died due to multi-organ failure.[7] Police cordoned off the market and all ten 60Co sources were recovered by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board in mid-April and were transported to Narora Atomic Power Station, where it was claimed that all radioactive material originally contained within the device was accounted for. The material remains in the custody of the Department of Atomic Energy[3][8][9][10]

The event was rated level 4 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Events Scale.[11] After the incident, AERB organized many awareness drives for Mayapuri scrap dealers broadly on the safety, legal and regulatory aspects while handling and disposal of radioactive materials.[12] A year later, Delhi Police charged six Delhi University chemistry professors for negligent disposal of the radioactive device.[13]

Metal recycling industry

One of the main businesses in Mayapuri is the recycling of metal scraps and sale of salvage vehicle parts. It is, arguably, the biggest market for used automotive and industrial spare parts in India. Many traders from all over India come here to sell or purchase old auto parts. Many small workshops specialised in different metals are active in the Mayapuri area. The safety of the scrap yards became a concern after the radiological accident which occurred in April 2010. The area is not equipped with radiation detectors or portals, despite being standard equipment in scrap yards and recycling facilities in the US and most European countries. The presence of toxic heavy metals and harmful chemicals in the waste generated by these activities threaten the health of several thousands of people living in the area.

Major landmarks

Mayapuri is home to the following key landmarks:

Surrounding areas

See also

References
  1. "Fire breaks out at car showroom in West Delhi, no casualties: Police". Hindustan Times. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. "Delhi: Cash crunch, pollution find an echo in scrap markets". The Indian Express. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  3. Yardley, Jim (23 April 2010). "Scrap metal radiation raises concerns in India". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  4. AERB press release. 29 April 2010.
  5. Hindustan Times
  6. Origin of Cobalt-60 traced to Delhi University
  7. "Mayapuri radiation victim succumbs". India Today. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  8. AERB press release. 18 May 2010.
  9. AERB press release. 5 May 2010
  10. Radiation response team recovers all Cobalt-60 source from Mayapuri
  11. Robert Johnston, Mayapuri orphaned source
  12. Rajagopalan, Rajeswari Pillai. "Radiological Security in India: Policies and Challenges". ORF. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  13. "Six DU professors charged in Mayapuri radiation case". NDTV.com. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
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