Date:03/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/03/stories/2007100355771800.htm

National

Environmental Survey Vehicle for Navy

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: An Environmental Survey Vehicle (ESV) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was handed over to the Navy here on Monday. DRDO chief M. Natarajan handed over the ESV to Vice-Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Nirmal Verma, at the DRDO headquarters.

Designed and developed by the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, the ESV is a radiological laboratory on wheels and equipped with state-of-the-art instruments. It is capable of estimating radioactivity in field conditions in solid, liquid and air.

The ESV will help certify the suitability of eatables and water in field conditions from the radiation safety angle for coastal areas.

It is also capable of measuring alpha, beta and gamma radiation quantitatively and qualitatively at even very low levels of radioactivity. The ESV can also detect any intentional or unintentional release of radioactivity.