The Hindu Business Line : `Nuclear tech must be used for food security'

The tools of nuclear technology should be applied to agriculture, food and human health through wider application of technologies developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), according to Prof M.S. Swaminathan.

Addressing the inaugural of BARC's golden jubilee celebrations at Kalpakkam, about 60 km from here, he said, "I would like to see in the 11th Plan a getting back to the roots - harnessing nuclear research and power for food security and livelihood security." India should keep its leadership in applying nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The safety of radiation technology in agriculture, mutation, breeding and post-harvest processing has been proved. The World Health Organisation has also cleared the technology, which can be applied in the field to control insect pests, in processing agri-produce after harvest and developing drought-tolerant varieties of crops. The pulses and oilseeds developed by BARC, Trombay, are the seeds of an agriculture revolution, he said.

India can be the flagship of peaceful use of atomic energy, said Prof Swaminathan.

Dr S. Banerjee, Director, BARC & Member, Atomic Energy Commission, said that nuclear energy can help deal with the shortage of power and water. With economic development there will be an increase in demand and nuclear energy can play a significant role against the backdrop of depleting fossil fuels and environmental concerns in their use.

BARC has developed technologies for desalination of seawater to produce potable water, he said.

At a press conference following the inaugural, he said technology can be used in not just nuclear power plants but in other generation facilities.

BARC is also commercialising Bhabhatron, a gamma radiation unit, used in cancer therapy. It would market the unit, one of which was in use, through a Bangalore-based company, Panacea. It is focussing on medical equipment and supplying isotopes for medical use.

Dr Banerjee said that by the year-end it would have set up a barge-mounted desalination plant with a capacity to produce 50,000 litres freshwater a day. This could be moved to different locations in an emergency.

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