Chernobyl: Uncovered

With Game of Thrones coming to an end HBO did not just stop there. HBO released “Chernobyl” which gained an IMBD rating of 9.7/10 surpassing many popular shows such as Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. Chernobyl is based on the true events which took place near Pripyat in Ukraine in 1986. At the Chernobyl Power plant, a nuclear test resulted in history's worst nuclear disaster.

Background

One of the worst nuclear accident took place on 25th and 26th April 1986 in the former USSR. The nuclear disaster is one of the worst in human history. It has caused many lives and some permanent diseases to the resident of those areas.

What happened?

The routine maintenance for the V.I. The nuclear power station was scheduled for 25th April 1986. The test was conducted to check whether the plant will be cooled if it lost its power. During this, workers violated many safety norms. Power surged inside the plant. This resulted in a chain reaction inside the plant which made the situation worse. This, in turn, started releasing the nuclear radioactive material in the atmosphere. Helicopters were used to pour sand to control the fire. After a few days of the incident, the crew covered the damaged area with a concrete structure called the “sarcophagus”, to control the radiations from spreading... USSR Government evacuated around 3,35,000 people in the subsequent year.

The Aftermath

With around 30 per cent of 190 metric tons of Uranium in the atmosphere, the situation was worsening day by day.

Around 28 people died due to the direct impact of the reactor and around 100 people were left injured. More than 6,000 children and teenagers suffered from thyroid cancer due to radiation. The situation will be in control after 2065 as per scientists

The environment around the affected area has also suffered a lot. The trees around the zone turned to brownish-red colour and then the trees died due to the harmful radiation.

Some facts about the disaster

#Chernobyl is deserted

Because of the radiation, nobody lives in the city of Pripyat. But some people live there unofficially. It’s a ghost town with no operations going in the town.

#The animals are still living in the town

Sad but a fact, humans are a major threat to animals rather than any radiation. Animals live in the town of Pripyat despite the abnormalities present due to the radiation.

#The first killer is Radioactive Iodine

Radioactive Iodine is the first killer that can get accumulated in the glands and can cause thyroid cancer.

#Sweden was the first one to send the alert

The Soviet Union didn’t tell about the Chernobyl incident. They told their people after many days.

Conclusion

The trees have come back to life but human life is still not possible. The fauna has also increased. The Government has taken many actions to investigate about the precautions of the post-Chernobyl area. Safety regulations for the people are still coming up for the people to stay safe from the radiation. The Chernobyl incident was the result of structural issues. This disaster has proved that a slight mistake in the nuclear department can create the worst disasters that can prove fatal to mankind. With the increasing population, renewable sources of energy are not enough to fulfil human needs so the demand for nuclear energy grows. But this energy comes with added responsibilities. And the government needs to take precautions and safety measures to ensure that incidents like this do not take place.

Other examples of nuclear disaster include Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Windscale, Three Mile Island, etc.

“Is there anything more frightening than people?”―_Svetlana Alexievich, Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster

Thumbnail Image Source: The New Yorker