Lok Sabha Question No. 1942 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: Awareness Campaign on Nuclear Energy
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, DHARMENDRA YADAV, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, SUDHEER GUPTA, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, Shrirang Appa Barne, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., ANANDRAO  ADSUL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1942

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2016

## AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON NUCLEAR ENERGY

1942.  SHRI  ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI  GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI  DHARMENDRA YADAV:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI  SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI  BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI  SHRIRANG  APPA BARNE:

SHRI  S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI  ANANDRAO ADSUL:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has carried out any awareness campaign to educate the public about the enormous peaceful benefits of nuclear energy and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  cases  of nuclear exposure  to local population and  scientists/ employees working in different nuclear plants across the country have been reported;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, during the last two years and the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether wide use of nuclear energy is also proving to be a boon in the fields like medical treatment and agriculture; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  proactive plan proposed to be taken up by the Government for timely completion of nuclear plants in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes,  Sir.  Nuclear  Power  Corporation  of  India  Limited  (NPCIL)  has  been carrying  out  an  extensive  public  outreach  programme  to  spread  awareness about  nuclear  power  and  all  its  related  aspects  based  on  a  multipronged approach.

- (b) & (c)  There  has  been  no  incidence  of  radiation  exposure  to  general  public beyond  stipulated  annual  dose  limits  in  over  46  years  of  nuclear  power plant  operations  in  the  country.  There  has  been  no  incident  of  radiation exposure  to  scientists  /  employees  of  the  department  beyond  stipulated annual dose limit of 30 milliSievert in the last two years (2014 and 2015) in nuclear power plants. However, one temporary worker received an annual dose of 17.36 milliSievert in the year 2014 as against an annual dose limit of 15 milliSievert.
- (d) & (e)  In addition to power generation, the radioisotopes produced in the research and power reactors are used for radiation sterilization of medical products, production of radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine and cancer treatment.    The  radioisotopes  are  also  used  for  production  of  improved varieties  of  seeds  in  agriculture,  radiation  processing  of  food  items  like spices, onions, potatoes and mangoes. Continuous research, development and  deployment  of  new  and  advanced  technologies  for  application  of atomic  energy  have  been  a  priority  area  for  the  Department  of  Atomic Energy (DAE).  Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has established Sludge  Hygienisation  technologies  where  sludge  is  hygienised  due  to inactivation of  pathogens  by  radiation  effects,  producing  high  quality manure for applications  in  agriculture.    A  large  range  of  novel  diagnostic and therapeutic applications of new radioisotopes have also been developed.

The government has taken several enabling steps to increase the nuclear power capacity. 'In principle'  approval  of  sites for  locating  future reactors based both on indigenous technologies and with foreign technical cooperation  has  been  accorded.  The  government  has  also  entered  into enabling agreements with foreign countries for nuclear cooperation including  supply  of  fuel.  The  Atomic  Energy  Act  has  been  amended recently  to  enable  Joint  Ventures  of  Public  Sector  Companies  to  set  up nuclear power projects.

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