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19:3 IST
MAJOR DECISIONS AND INITIATIVES
ATOMIC ENERGY
The UPA Government completes one year on May 21, 2005. During this period, the Government has taken several important initiatives. Some of these are being brought out in the series ‘Major Decisions and Initiatives’.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) continues to pursue its mandate of exploiting nuclear energy for power and non power purposes.
Electricity generation from nuclear power plants during 2004-05 was 17,010 million units. Five nuclear power stations in the country were awarded gold shield, silver shield and certificates by the Government for their meritorious performance during the year 2000-01 to 2003-04. Unit-2 of the Narora Atomic Power station had the longest continuous operation of 272 days from September 21, 2003 to June 19, 2004. Continuous operation of 238 days was also achieved for the Units 1 & 2 of Narora Atomic Power Station. Refueling of Unit-1 of Tarapur Atomic Power station was accomplished in 26 days.
Nine new nuclear power plants are at present under construction, which will add a total capacity of 4460 MW to the electricity generation in the country. One 540 MW unit at Tarapur (TAPP-4) achieved criticality on March 6, 2005 and is expected to be commissioned ahead of schedule. This is the first 540 MW nuclear power plant of the country built on indigenous technology. A total of 1300 MW capacity is planned to be added during X Plan and 5915 MW in XI Plan. Construction of these reactors is on schedule. In addition to the indigenous, self-reliant three stage nuclear power programme, it is planned to set up Light Water Reactors (LWRs) based on imported technology. Two such reactors are already under construction at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. On October 23, 2004 the Prime Minister launched the construction of the first 500 MW Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu.
In the field of nuclear agriculture, DAE is working with State Farms Corporation of India of the Ministry of Agriculture for enhanced seed production of released varieties and promotion of their large scale cultivation. A new Trombay Groundnut variety, TG 37A, was released and notified by the Ministry of Agriculture for commercial cultivation and confectionery groundnut variety TPG-41 was released for all India commercial cultivation. The total number of Trombay crop varieties released and notified for commercial cultivation so far has reached 24. The State Seed Committee of Maharashtra has released a soybean variety TAMS-38, developed at Trombay, for commercial cultivation in the Vidharbha region.
KRUSHAK (Krushi Utpadan Surakshan Kendra), a low dose radiation processing plant at Lasalgaon, near Nasik in Maharashtra processing onions, pulses, rawa and turmeric; and a high dose radiation processing plant at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra processing spices are in operation. MoUs have been signed for multi-product irradiators with 13 (with one in the co-operative sector) entrepreneurs. Five private sector commercial Gamma Irradiation Plant in the eastern region set up by M/s Organic Green Foods Ltd, Kolkata was commissioned in August 2004. Three more plants are expected to be commissioned in this year.
In the field of urban/rural waste management, the sewage Sludge Hygenisation Research Irradiator (SHRI) at Vadodra has its entire production of hygenised sludge booked by the users for the next year. The hygenised sludge has been tested as manure in the agriculture field. Six plants of capacities one tonne to 15 tonnes per day for treating biodegradable wastes from kitchens, vegetable markets, agricultural farms and abattoirs have been set up. These produce high quality manure for use in agriculture and methane for use as fuel. Many more plants are in the pipeline. Large capacity plants are on the drawing board.
In the field of health services, it is proposed to network 19 Regional Cancer Centres in the country with Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai through satellite based telemedicine links for providing countrywide service in cancer. In Phase-I, TMH has been connected to Dr. B Barooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati and Dr. B.K. Walavalkar Hospital, Dervan. District hospitals in the North Eastern States have been linked. Telepathology is also in operation.
At Kalpakkam 1.8 million litres per day capacity of production of potable water based on Reverse Osmosis (RO) process is operation. Construction of 4.5 million litres per day plant based on Multi Stage Flash (MSF) Distillation is also in progress. Technology of RO plants have been transferred to seven parties for producing drinking water in villages. Dialogue for setting up desalination plant at Lakshadweep and Diu is going on.
In order to strengthen the linkage between DAE and the university system as also the linkage between basic research and its translation to technologies, several programmes have been initiated. UGC-DAE consortium for scientific research, National Initiative on Undergraduate Science (NIUS) and Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) are some important examples.
RK:LV
PIB SF-14 (10.05.2005)
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