The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Fears on uranium projects allayed

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Saturday, Sep 09, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Fears on uranium projects allayed

Special Correspondent

Says radiation levels will be kept within specified levels

NOTHING TO FEAR: Anil Kakodkar (right), Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, addressing the media in Hyderabad on Friday. Srikumar Banerjee, Director, BARC, is also seen. PHOTO: P.V.Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: Seeking to allay fears of environmentalists on the proposed uranium mining projects in Nalgonda and Kadapa districts, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar has said there is absolutely no need for concern.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day national symposium on `Radiation processing of foods, food products and feeds' here on Friday, he assured the environmentalists that radiation levels would be kept within the specified levels. Radioactive waste dumped in the tailing ponds after extraction of uranium would be extremely low and cause no harm. Besides, top-soil would be created on the ponds and vegetation would be grown on it.

Alkaline process

He said the alkaline process technology to be adopted for extracting uranium at Kadapa was not new and was in vogue world over. The two plants would be set up soon after receiving environmental clearances.

Dr. Kakodkar said the existing uranium resources were sufficient to support 10,000 MW of nuclear power to be produced through Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) in the first stage of the three-stage nuclear power programme.

He said that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) was building eight 700 MW PHWR reactors which were expected to be ready in six to seven years, to complete the 10,000 MW goal of the first stage.

Inaugurating the symposium earlier, Dr. Kakodkar stressed the need for collective efforts of all stakeholders, including farmers, to promote food irradiation technology to make the country a major global player. He noted that the technology was used to process only 2000 tonnes of food products in India compared to 1.4 lakh tonnes in China.

Srikumar Banerjee, Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), said there was a large scope for expansion of the programme by setting up more plants. He said that BARC had worked out a programme to have irradiated mangoes for exports by next summer.

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