Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 22: Retired additional director of Central Nuclear Mineral Directorate Dr S A Pandit said, that Uranimum deposits are found at four places in the state namely Balkunjagudde in Andar near Karkala, Chikmagalur, Arabail in Uttara Kannada and Gogi in Gulbarga district.
Speaking at a symposium on Indo-American nuclear deal organized in the city by Energy Support Intitiatives here on Thursday August 21, he said that uranimum deposits were detected near Karkala as far back as in 1978 itself. Mining has commenced at Gogi recently and the uranimum found there is of the highest quality among the ores found anywhere in the country, he explained.
Thorium deposits have been found around Mangalore in plenty and Kerala too has rich thorium deposits. India is placed at fourth place as far as availability of thorium is concerned. However, thorium needs to be put through a three-phased process to convert it into uranium, he stated.
The wide-spread perception that India has no uranium deposits is unfounded. We have uranium, but our requirement is much more. Hence we are forced to import this precious mineral, he said.
Indian scientists have mastered the art of setting up nuclear reactors indigenously and the agreement now our country has entered into with the USA is related to purchase of uranium. Kaiga nuclear reactor in Uttara Kannada district is the best reactor in the entire world, he informed.
Ex vice president of Central Nuclear Energy Control Board G R Srinivasan in his address, stressed that the nuclear deal will pave way for a bright future for India and asked people not to be unduly apprehensive about its ill-affects.
Central Administration Reforms Commission chairman M Veerappa Moily, who inaugurated the programme, expressed the hope, that this agreement will help India to rise to the status of a super power within the next 15 years.
Use of uranium for energy production will not result in environmental ppollution. Nuclear energy is cost affective. 78% of the power production in France is made up of nuclear power, he said.
Mangalore Regional Science Centre director Dr K V Rao presided. Registrar of St Aloysius College in the city, Prof A M Narahari functioned as co-ordinator. Programme co-ordinator Ivan D'Souza welcomed. Krupa Alva conducted the programme.