Uranium poisoning in Punjabfirst made news in March 2009, when a South African toxicologist, DrCarinSmitassociated with UK-based‘Defeat Autism Now’,whilevisitingFaridkotcity inPunjab, India, had hair and urine samples of 149 children affected withbirth abnormalitiesincluding physical deformities, neurological and mental disorders, sent toMicrotraceMineral Lab, Germany. Though doctors expectedheavy metaltoxicity, what they were surprised to find was high levels ofuraniumin the samples, and in one case more than 60 times the maximum safe limit. The levels found were compared against the 'researchers' own 'reference standard, and not against any regulatory specifications.

In June 2010, studies carried out amongst mentally retarded children in theMalwaregion of Punjab, revealed 87 percent of children below 12 years and 82 percent beyond that age having uranium levels high enough to cause diseases, also uranium levels in samples of three kids from Kotkapura and Faridkot were 62, 44 and 27 times higher thannormal. Subsequently, the BabaFarid Centre for Special Children,Faridkot, sent samples of five children from the worst-affected village,TejaRohela, nearFazilka, which has over 100 children who are congenitally mentally and physically challenged, to the same lab.

In 2010, water samples taken fromBuddhaNullah, a high polluted water canal, which merges into theSutlej River, showed heavy metal content as quite high and the presence of uranium 1.5times the reference range. Together with other forms of pollution, like ammonia, phosphate, chloride, chromium, arsenic andchlorpyrifospesticide, the rivulet, is now being termed as the "Other 1984 Union Carbide India Ltd -Bhopal" in the making…

Pitiful stories of impact…

Twelve-year-oldHarpartikKaurcan barely walk or talk while other kids of her age play and grow tallerbythe day. Harpartikhas spent the better part of her life at a special clinic. Her doctors claim she has been crippled by uranium poisoning. “Some people say it is because of uranium. It may be because of polluted ground water. We don’t know but it has affected our lives,” said Bhupinder Kaur, Harpartik’s mother. We meet hundreds of children likeHarpartikat BabaFaridCentre for Special Children, a naturopathy center, battling birth defects, physical and mental abnormalities.

From north India, 120 children were randomly selected for an international study. It showed 113 of them had uranium in their bodies, up to 50 times the normal level. Not a coincidence, people at Baba Farid Centre say that most of the affected children are from Punjab, and also the uranium levels are higher among children fromMalwa, which has Punjab’s two biggest coal-fired power stations. Fly ash from burnt coal contains high levels of uranium and ash that has possibly contaminated Malwa’s soil and ground water. The chemical effects ofWorld War IIHiroshima bombings, UkraineChernobyl 1986disaster and, now again in 2011, Fukushima-Japan’s nuclear reactor crisis are still live and fresh in theair, soil and water.

Our presentworld leadersmust make the safety of its innocent people a priority and abandon their nuclear facilities, especially Asean leaders ofIndia,its neighborPakistanand Iran. We are alltourists on this beautiful earth so let us all stay peaceful, healthy and smiling on this beautiful 'Earth'.

- By Carmo Santos –Goa/ Kuwait.