Hyderabad: Every year on August 29, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests is observed around the world. The purpose of the special day is to raise awareness about the effects of a nuclear weapons test explosion or any other nuclear explosion. Nuclear weapons testing has a long and destructive history. The first test was conducted by the United States in 1945 and since then there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests in total.
The early days of nuclear testing were marked by a disregard for the devastating effects of this weapons on human life and the environment. Nuclear fallout from atmospheric test spread radiation for miles, causing cancer and other health problems in people and animals.
History Of International Day Against Nuclear Test:
On December 2, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly declared August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, unanimously agreeing to this resolution. This day aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of nuclear tests and the importance of stopping them to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.
The idea for this day came from Kazakhstan, with support from many countries and organizations, to honour the end of nuclear testing at the Semipalatinsk site in 1991. The day encourages the UN, governments, and various groups to promote the need for a global ban on nuclear tests for a safer world.
Since its start, the day has led to many efforts to support this cause, including events like symposia and conferences. The first International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was celebrated in September 2014. The goal is to achieve the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which has not yet been signed.
The Beginning Of The Nuclear Era: Nuclear Testing 1945–2009 The United States started the Nuclear Age on July 16, 1945, by exploding a 20-kiloton atomic bomb named "Trinity" in New Mexico. They also dropped atomic bombs on Japan, "Little Boy" on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and "Fat Man" on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
These bombs killed about 220,000 Japanese people directly and another 200,000 from radiation. After World War II ended, the United States and the Soviet Union began a nuclear weapons race. The United States tested six more bombs between 1946 and 1949, and the Soviet Union tested its first bomb, "Joe 1," on August 29, 1949, starting the "Cold War" nuclear arms race.
In 1954, India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru suggested a pause in nuclear testing, and the United Kingdom became the third country to test nuclear weapons in 1952, initially in Australia and later in the United States. Nuclear Tests after CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty): From 1998 to 2017 India (1998): On May 11 and 13, 1998, India conducted two underground nuclear tests known as "Shakti (Power) '98" at the Pokhran, Rajasthan testing site, following its first test in 1974. Pakistan (1998): Pakistan soon responded with two underground tests at the Ras Koh range.
Countries with Nuclear Weapons:
At present, there are 9 countries in the world that possess nuclear weapons. Russia has the most confirmed nuclear weapons, with 5,580 nuclear warheads. The United States follows behind with 5,748 nuclear weapons, hosted in the US and 5 other nations: Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Total nuclear warheads owned by these 2 countries alone account for 90% of nuclear weapons in the world.
The total number of warheads for North Korea and Israel is unconfirmed. However, it has been estimated that North Korea has enough fissile material to develop between 40-50 individual weapons, whilst Israel has material for up to 200, with an estimated 90 existing warheads. In the other hand China has 500, France has 290, UK has 225, Pakistan has 170 and India has 172 Nuclear Weapons.
Together, these states have 12,100 nuclear warheads, of which 9,600 are in active military stockpiles. While this is a significant decline from the approximately 70,000 warheads owned by the nuclear-armed states during the Cold War, nuclear arsenals are expected to grow over the coming decade and today’s forces are vastly more capable.
Significance:
The threat of nuclear war is also a major concern. If nuclear weapons were ever used again, the consequences would be catastrophic. The International Day against Nuclear Tests is reminder of the need to work towards a nuclear weapons-free world. So brings public awareness and education about the effects of global nuclear weapon tests. The day aims to end nuclear testing and to promote peace and security.
