Nuclear ores are found in mountains and on the ground. They are found as solid rocks and look like other ores but the nuclear ores release deadly nuclear radiation. These radiation waves can create cancer in living things near it and cause other illnesses. The mountains in the North of Pakistan are constantly shifting their land either through human construction or through snow, landslides and rain. This shifting can cause new rocks to be exposed to the environment.

Sometimes these rocks can be nuclear ores that emit constant nuclear radiation which can cause diseases in humans and animals living near the source. Since the mountain population is scattered and thinly populated, the nuclear radiation can cause illnesses for one or a few families while sparing the rest of the village. Without radiation measuring equipment, the local population would never know the real reason for the illnesses was nuclear radiation.

I, therefore, request the government to establish radiation monitoring teams for northern mountain regions, especially Swat. The monitoring team would each summer drive on all the usable roads of mountain villages in each district, using radiation measuring devices to record the radiation levels. Once any region is found with high radiation, a mobile monitoring team would pinpoint the source of radiation using a handheld or drone-held devices. Once nuclear material is found, the retrieval team would collect or cover the radiation source with lead covers.

If such an exercise is held every year then nuclear materials can quickly be discovered and recovered by the government. This would save the locals, the water and the environment from radiation poisoning and also stop nuclear material falling into the wrong hands. The government can also use the data on cancer patients to find out regions with high cancer patients, which can be an indication of nuclear radiation poisoning of the local population.

SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER P.ENGR.,

Peshawar.