'India needs to handle atomic power with care'

New Delhi, Apr 27: Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar has outlined a roadmap for tapping the huge potential of atomic energy for peaceful purposes which entails deploying accelerator driven systems for power generation and their application in various fields.

''It is a 10-15 year roadmap,'' Mr Kakodkar said at a seminar on 'Accelerator and Low Level Radiation Safety', here last evening.

He said India's atomic programme was increasingly attracting the interest of international community which was keen to involve the country in various mega projects.

He pointed out that accelerators can be increasingly deployed for medical diagnosis and treatment, and enhancement of shelf life of food and agricultural products, besides in other fields.

''The accelerators have huge potential in contributing to our energy security, but safety measures should be stepped up to counter the effect of radiation,'' he said.

'Safety measures should go hand in hand with technology development.... We need to launch a number of initiatives to make that happen.'' Safety regulation codes, he said, should be evolved for normal operation of accelerator facility.

Planning should also be done for safe disposal of radiation waste, he said.

''It is observed that such high energy machines, associated electromagnetic and neutron fields and induced radioactivity constitute a significant challenge in ensuring safety through design, associated engineered safety features and the operational discipline.

''With enlargement of the programme, the number of people involved in this activity at various levels and in various disciplines is continuously increasing and therefore, there is a need not only for more clearer quantitative understanding of safety issues but also an enlightened and all-pervading safety culture,'' he said.

UNI