Lok Sabha Question No. 781 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-20
Subject: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: YERRAM VENKATA SUBBAREDDY, DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.781

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2017

## BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE

## 781. SHRI Y.V. SUBBA REDDY:

SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed a technology to purify groundwater and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  above  mentioned  technology  has  been  demonstrated  and  proved successful and if so, the details thereof including the details of States with specific districts where the said technology is being used;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  groundwater  in  Prakasam district  in  the  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh  is  reportedly  contaminated  with  fluoride, arsenic, stratium etc. and if so, the efforts taken by the Government to address the issue;
- (d) whether BARC is actively involved in research and development activities in the field of agriculture in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of various initiatives/ projects/works under taken by the BARC in Gujarat during the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a) Yes, Sir. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed several membrane assisted  technologies  for  desalination  and  purification  of  contaminated  water  for drinking  purposes  at  domestic  and  community  level.  This  includes  purification  with respect to microbiological decontamination, arsenic removal, iron removal, defluoridation, salinity and hardness removal.

BARC has also developed a safe, simple and low cost technology for the remediation of fluoride from fluoride contaminated ground water to make it potable, using rare earth material as absorbent. The method requires addition of the adsorbent to the fluoride contaminated water; the fluoride is taken up by the adsorbent that settles at the bottom of the tank. The water is then filtered through terracotta filter and is ready to drink. This method is superior in several respects to some of the other methods currently being employed. The advantages of this method are:

- Does not require use of additives which can lead to residual contamination.
- Does not use expensive Electrolysis, Membrane Filtration or RO systems.
- Does not require electricity to operate the system and can be conveniently used in remote areas as well.
- The cost of consumables is minimal as the adsorbent can be easily regenerated.
- (b) BARC has transferred the technical knowhow of all membrane assisted technologies to several private entrepreneurs on non-exclusive basis for commercial production and field deployment. Several private entrepreneurs who are licensees of BARC for these technologies are producing and marketing these membrane based water purification devices.
- (c) No, Sir.
- (d) The Department of Atomic Energy through its research, development and deployment activities in nuclear science and technology has been contributing in the field of food and  agriculture.  Radiation  and  radioisotopes  are  used  in  agricultural  research  to induce  genetic  variability  in  crop  plants  to  develop  improved  varieties,  to  manage insect  pests,  to  monitor  fate  and  persistence  of  pesticides,  to  study  fertilizer  use efficiency  and  plant  micronutrient  uptake  and  also  to  preserve  agricultural  produce. Using radiation induced mutation (and conventional) breeding, DAE has developed 42 new  varieties  of  crops.  These  include  15  varieties  in  groundnut,  3  in  mustard,  2  in soybean,  1  in  sunflower  (total  21  in  oilseeds),  8  in  mungbean,  5  in  urdbean,  5  in pigeonpea, 1 in cowpea (total 19 in pulse crops), 1 each in rice and jute. The major desirable traits in these crops include higher yield, seed size, improved agronomic and quality  traits,  early  maturity  and  resistance  to  biotic  and  abiotic  stresses.  Several  of these varieties enjoy high patronage among  the  farming community  and  are extensively cultivated in the country and contribute substantially to the total agricultural production in the country. BARC is also involved in breeder seed multiplication of its released varieties in the case of crops such as ground nuts and pulses.
- (e) Using  both  mutation  and  cross  breeding,  BARC  has  developed  42  crop  varieties, which have been released and notified for commercial cultivation across the country. For  Gujarat  state,  5  groundnut  (TAG  24,  Somnath,  TG  26,  TG  37A,  TPG  41),  3 pigeonpea (TT 6, TT 401, TJT 501)  and 1 mungbean (TARM 1) varieties have been released  through  active  collaboration  with  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research (ICAR)  and  Junagadh  Agricultural  University,  Junagadh.  Besides,  recently  released

Trombay groundnut varieties  such  as  TG  38,  TG  39,  TLG  45  and  TG  51  (released elsewhere)  are  also  popular  among  the  Gujarat  farmers.  TAG  24  and  TG  37A  are high-yielding varieties, having moisture stress tolerance; TG 51 is with early maturity and  TG 39, TPG 41 and TLG 45 are large seeded varieties, suitable for export and confectionary purposes.

Recently, seven new groundnut breeding lines having high yield, large seed and early maturity,  developed  by  DAE,  are  being  evaluated  for  their  superiority  at  Junagadh Agricultural University. Some of these lines have shown promising initial performance. Earlier,  DAE,  through  Board  of  Research  in  Nuclear  Science  (BRNS),  funded groundnut research project of Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh. Collaborative research with Navsari Agricultural University in agriculture relevant to the state is undertaken by BARC.

BARC has  supplied  more  than  300  quintals  of  breeder  seed  (basic  seed)  of  these varieties  in  the  last  five  years  to  Directorate  of  Groundnut  Research,  Junagadh Agricultural University, Gujarat State Seed Corporation, seed companies, NGOs and farmers.  These  agencies,  after  seed  multiplication,  are  distributing  thousands  of quintals seeds of Trombay varieties to Gujarat farmers. Feedback about performance of BARC groundnut varieties from farmers in Gujarat is highly encouraging.

Nisargruna technology, which has been developed by BARC, is used by a number of agencies  in  Gujarat  for  hygienic  disposal  of  biodegradable  wastes  (along  with generation of kitchen gas) generated in municipalities and other establishments. There are  about  190  Nisargruna  plants  installed  at  various  locations  all  over  the  country. BARC has signed MOUs with Municipal Corporation of Rajkot and built a 5 tons/day plant for treatment predominantly of cow dung generated in a gaushala. A similar plant (1 ton/day) is operational at IIT, Gandhinagar for treating kitchen waste. A 5 tons/day plant at Baroda is used for hygienic disposal of animal carcasses.

BARC has entered into an MoU with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for setting up  the  first  dry  sludge  hygienisation  plant  for  treatment  of  municipal  wastes  in  the country.

******