NATIONWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION

MONITORING USING TLDs

ANNUAL REPORT

(Period: 30th April 2014 – 3rd April 2015)

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

Objective

Indoor and outdoor GAMMA RADIATION monitoring is carried out for the entire states of West

Bengal by West Bengal University of Technology using Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters (TLDs). This

Project have been funded by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. The report describes the total

No’s of TLDs batches placed in West Bengal within the duration of October’ 2014 to April’ 2015.

Geography of West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in eastern India and is the nation's fourth most populous state, stretching from

the Himalayas in the north, to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total area of 88,752 square

kilometres with population of approximate 9.13 crores according to the census of 2011. The Darjeeling

Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state belongs to the eastern Himalaya. This region

contains Sandakafu (11,929 ft.), the highest peak of the state. The narrow terai region separates this region

from the plains, which in turn transitions into the Ganges delta towards the south. The Rarh region intervenes

between the Ganges delta in the east and the western plateau and high lands. A small coastal region is on the

extreme south, while the Sundarbans mangrove forests form a geographical landmark at the Ganges delta. On

the east lies Bangladesh. Sikkim and Bhutan lie on the north of West Bengal. The state of Assam is situated

on the north east of West Bengal. The geographical location of the state is 23-degree North latitude and 88

degree East longitude.

Districts of West Bengal

There are 20 districts divided into three main divisions known as the Presidency division, Burdwan

division and the Jalpaiguri division in West Bengal. Every division comprises of 6 to 7 districts that helps the

administration to manage the state efficiently. The Presidency division holds districts like the Howrah,

Kolkata, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas. The Burdwan division comprises

of Bankura, Bardhaman, Birbhum, East Midnapore, Hoogly, Puruliya, and West Midnapore. Jalpaiguri

division comprises of Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Malda, North Dinajpur, and South

Dinajpur.

[The details pertaining to West Bengal have been entirely taken from Wikipedia. The urls are as follows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengal#Geography_and_climate;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_West_Bengal.]

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

Project Strategy

The Purpose of this survey is to generate a baseline data of Gamma radiation coming from cosmic as

well as terrestrial sources for the entire state of West Bengal. Outdoor & Indoor TLDs batches were placed by

WBUT throughout the state of West Bengal. The outdoor TLDs batches were placed on tree or protruding

structures on the roof (away from ground and construction by atleast 1 meter) and indoor TLD placement was

done on curtain rods away from floor and walls. The TLDs Batched would be replaced every 3 months & this

process will continue for 2 years.

Project Milestones

MOU signed between BARC and

WBUT on 30th

April 2014

1st

Project Monitoring Committee

Meeting on 20th

Aug 2014 after

receiving the fund on 22nd

July 2014

Work Assistant inducted in October 2014

1st TLD Installation

on 18th October 2014

1st round completed on

3rd April 2015

2nd round TLD Installation

on 19th January 2015

3rd round TLD Installation to start from 19th April 2015

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

TLDs Batches Placed Entire state of West Bengal

Sl. No. Districts No’s of TLDs Batch Refer to

Outdoor Indoor

1.

KOLKATA 9 9 See Annexure - 1

2.

NORTH 24PARGANAS 7 7 See Annexure - 2

3.

SOUTH 24PARGANAS 16 13 See Annexure – 3

4.

HOWRAH 3 3 See Annexure – 4

5.

NADIA 6 4 See Annexure – 5

6.

MURSHIDABAD 9 6 See Annexure – 6

7.

HOOGHLY 5 2 See Annexure – 7

8.

BURDHWAN 11 8 See Annexure – 8

9.

BIRBHUM 7 2 See Annexure – 9

10.

BANKURA 11 8 See Annexure – 10

11.

EAST MEDINIPUR 8 4 See Annexure – 11

12.

WEST MEDINIPUR 5 4 See Annexure – 12

13.

PURULIYA 10 7 See Annexure – 13

14.

MALDA 6 4 See Annexure – 14

15.

COOCHBEHAR 5 2 See Annexure – 15

16.

JALPAIGURI - ALIPURDUAR 10 6 See Annexure – 16

17.

NORTH DINAJPUR 5 2 See Annexure – 17

18.

SOUTH DINAJPUR 3 1 See Annexure – 18

19. DARJEELING

5 2 See Annexure - 19

Total (TLDs Batches

Placed Up to 3rd April’ 2015.) 141 94

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

TLDs Batches Placed at Exterior Location

Environmental TLS Batches EnTLD WB-A-1/65, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 14.09.2014) Deployed at ABS

Academy of Science, Technology & Management and EnTLD WB-A-1/66, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt.

14.09.2014) deployed at DR. B. C. Roy Engineering College in Durgapur, Burdhwan District by Our Work

Assistant on 14 January' 2015.

Picture: 1 Picture: 2

ABS Academy of Science, Technology &

Management

(Address: J.P. Avenue, Sagarbhanga,

Durgapur - 713211)

DR. B. C. ROY Engineering College

(Address: Jemua Rd., Fuljhore,

Durgapur - 713206)

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

TLDs Batches Replaced at Interior & Exterior Location

Environmental TLD Batches Indoor EnTLD WB-A-1/3, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 14.09.2014) replaced by

new EnTLD WB-2A/3, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 19.12.2014) and Outdoor EnTLD WB-A-1/3, EMAS,

BARC (MFG. Dt. 14.09.2014) replaced by new EnTLD WB-2A/3, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 19.12.2014)

in DR. Dipali Ray Chowdhury’ house, Kaikhali, North 24 Parganas on 19 January' 2015.

Picture: 3 Picture: 4 Picture: 5

House Owner: DR. Dipali Ray Choudhury

Address: Greenwood Premium, Blook-B, Shibtala, Flat No. 103,

Kaikhali. Kolkata - 700136.

BARC – ENVS, WBUT

TLDs Batches Replaced at Interior & Exterior Location

Environmental TLD Batches Indoor EnTLD WB-A-1/6, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 14.09.2014) replaced by

new EnTLD WB-2A/6, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 19.12.2014) and Outdoor EnTLD WB-A-1/5, EMAS,

BARC (MFG. Dt. 14.09.2014) replaced by new EnTLD WB-2A/5, EMAS, BARC (MFG. Dt. 19.12.2014)

in Barasat State University, North 24 Parganas on 15 January' 2015.

Picture: 6 Picture: 7

The In-house working group: Md Tofizul Hoque; Mr Prabir Saha; Mr Sourav Chakraborty; Mr Avishek Mitra; Mr

Sourav Ghosh; Mr Somnath Sarkar; Ms Chaitali Chanda; Ms Tethi Biswas; Ms Srimoyee Banerjee; Mr Subhadeep

Ghosh.

Acknowledgement: The PI and Co PI would like to thank WBUT Administration and specially Prof Ranjan

Bhattacharyya (Hon’ble Vice Chancellor); Dr Nilanjana Dasgupta of Panchayat and Rural Development Department,

Govt of West Bengal; Mr Kaushik Bhunia, and all others who (details available in Annexures) cooperated with us to

make this possible.

West Bengal State University

(Address: Berunanpukuria, P.O. Malikapur, North 24 Parganas, PIN 700126)