N-blasts yield wrongly assessed — Ramanna

“The explosions of May 11 and 13 were not noticed until we announced it and its yield was wrongly reported and commented by many so-called science correspondents including Newsweek only to show we cannot make an H bomb,” said the main brain behind the 1974 Pokharan tests.

“These contradictions clearly show the weakness of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and its implementation,” Ramanna said. He was delivering the M A Master Memorial Lecture on India’s Nuclear Agenda: Economic, Political and Ecological Vicissitudes at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) this afternoon.

The yields of the Indian tests had been confirmed by theUnited States Geological Survey which stated a combined yield of between 30 and 60 kilotonnes which was consistent with the announced yield of 56 kt.The US agency had arrived at this conclusion after putting together the results of 125 seismic stations.

India’s tests were properly estimated by our scientists who knew the terrain well and the 1974 tests had given the parameters for this purpose.

Another aspect of the tests had been the development of low yield nuclear devices, which could destroy whole army units on the move. Ramanna stated that nuclear weapons did not require large army systems if deterrence was the aim. Missiles and aircraft were generally sufficient for weapon delivery.

In his hour-long lecture, Ramanna lashed out at the hypocrisy of the Big Five who had exploded many devices and stockpiled enough weapons material to destroy the world twice.

Ramanna stated that the voluntary moratorium on tests announced by India was the right alternative to signing the CTBT in terms of the CTBTneeded to be further defined to include all type of tests, be it on land, water, air or even computer simulated.

Later, speaking to media persons, Ramanna stated that the recent denial of a visa to Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Dr R Chidambaram needn’t be taken seriously as the decision was apparently taken at a lower level.

Chidambaram, who was also present on the occasion, declined to comment.Delivering a lecture in Pune last year, Ramanna became one of the first atomic scientists to openly state that the 1974 test was actually a weapons test and not the Peaceful Nuclear Explosion (PNE) that was being claimed by the government. Today, he also mentioned the economic use of PNEs in diverting rivers and enhancing oil output. Reports that our scientists were digging towards the source points of the explosion could also yield interesting data on the containment of radioactive residues.

Ramanna said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had done good work in the past, but was nowlanded with problems of inspection and safeguards the world over and with dwindling influence.