Date:12/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/12/stories/2008051254561400.htm

National

Kalam backs India-U.S. nuclear deal

BARC commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Pokhran II tests

Endorses renewable sources for generating electricity
India no longer technologically limited: Dr. Kakodkar

Mumbai: The former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Sunday said the country is dependent on nuclear power in the future for which it will need the uranium supplies that the India-U.S. civil nuclear pact will facilitate. “We need the uranium supply and the pact is important if we want to meet the target of nuclear energy’s contribution in the total energy production.”

He was speaking at a function at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre here to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the ‘Shakti’ series of the Pokhran nuclear tests. Mr. Kalam, who had played a key role in Pokhran II, said: “Currently, we have an installed capacity of only 3,900 MW which the Department of Atomic Energy plans to take to 7,160 MW by 2012 and to 24,000 MW by 2020.

“Our uranium reserves are limited. We will need a certain amount of uranium to attain the next stage in the fuel cycle producing energy on thorium which is available in abundance in India.”

Kakodkar confident

Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar said the country was no longer “technology limited” but “raw material limited” and exuded confidence that India would overcome the limitation.

Dr. Kakodkar, who was part of the long-drawn negotiation on the India-U.S deal, declined to comment on its status.

“We have discussed this deal with other countries and the IAEA. Now the rest of the decision is not technical.

“We should adopt strategies that would bridge the gap [of uranium supply] as early as possible without compromising our autonomy to pursue our own development as planned, both in strategic as well as the three-stage programmes.”

To ensure that the country’s nuclear programme is not dependent on the implementation of the India- U.S. deal, the government is investing heavily in uranium exploration, Dr. Kakodkar, who is also the secretary of the DAE, said. “Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya and other regions are among those we are looking at for uranium exploration.”Approximately, Rs.700 crore is being invested in using the latest technology to explore multiple States for uranium, he said. The deal, however, would not be as crucial if the investment in uranium exploration yielded returns, he said. “We are making massive investment in uranium exploration and if we hit a huge find, then the problem is over.” — PTI