Denying report on cancer deaths in atomic energy hubs appearing in the media, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) described it as a malicious distortion of facts. On the basis of an RTI reply filed by a Mumbai-based activist Chetan Kothari, the report had claimed that 70 per cent of deaths at atomic energy installations in the country are caused by cancer.
“The total number of deaths of DAE employees in service over the period between 1995 and 2014 works out to 2,564 and this includes 69 cases suicides (as against the report claiming 3,887 deaths and 255 suicides). The number of deaths reported by DAE units due to cancer-related causes is 152 out of the above 2,564 deaths,” said a statement of DAE.
Terming the report as a gross distortion of facts, the statement said, “It cited cancer as cause of 2,600 deaths, of a total of 3,887 deaths of employees at 19 centres (during 1995-2014), attributing the information to responses to RTI queries made by Kothari.
“The malicious report also quoted a ‘shocking revelation of 255 suicides’ in BARC during the same period 1995 to 2014. However, nothing can be farther from the truth because this report does not reflect the information given by the Units of the DAE to Kothari.”
Dismissing the report as a blatant attempt to malign it, the DAE said it could cause considerable damage to the nuclear energy programme in the country.
“It is very unfortunate that a section of the media not only published such a completely misleading report without carrying out necessary and sufficient verification of all facts and figures, but has also ignored the DAE appeals to publish its response,” the department concluded.
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