No problem with nuclear energy:Principal Scientific Adviser to P

New Delhi, Sept 13 (UNI) Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and Member of the high-power committee on climate change Dr R Chidambaram today said there was no problem with the nuclear power and increasing its share in the energy mix was good for cutting on greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming.

He dismissed all apprehensions of opponents to the Indo-US nuclear deal that nuclear power plants would pose threat to environment because of radiation.

''All this talk is preposterous. The nuclear enery was safe and it should not be made a matter of controversy unnecessarily,'' he said after speaking at seminar on climate change held as part of the CMS Vatavaran--an environment film festival here.

Earlier, in his remarks at the seminar, Dr Chidambaram said India could no afford to cut down its energy consumption, as it was directly related to growth. And there was direct relation between poverty alleviation and adaptation to climate change.

All areas vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events were inhabited by the poor, he pointed out.

''Our approach to climate change must be consistent with our development strategies. We need to increase the per capita electricity consupmtion to catch up with the developed countries.

The Prime Minmister has already told the G-8 summit that we cannot compromise on that,'' he added.

Dr Chidamabram advocated creation of a grid of climate change reaserch data bases in the country to better understand the phenomena and devise startegies for adpatation and mitigation.

Earlier, Joint Secretray in the Ministry of Environment and Fores JM Mauskar also underlined the direct relation between poverty alleviation and adaptation to climate change.

Referring to the Briish economist Nicholas Stern's Report on Climate Change, he said India has strong difference with his contention that it was spending only a miniscule amount on climate change adpatation.

Corroborating his point, he pointed out that in 2000-o1, the country spent 0.63 of GDP on adaptation while in 2006-07, it raised the amount to 2.17 per cent of the GDP. This amount will further go up as the results of global warming appear, he added.

In his view, specific regional impact models were needed to assess and understand the climate change in relation to India.

Besides, Dr Chidambaram and Mr Mauskar, several other experts participated in the day long seminar.

UNI