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 Nuclear energy! Clean, Green or Dirty?MR MANMOHAN SINGH Prime Minister of India declared: “India will be liberated from the constraints of technology denial of 34 years. We will widen our clean energy options”. India’s massive electricity crunch is a key reason why the government said it was determined to go ahead with the controversial civilian nuclear technology pact with the US. Power outages that stretch hours are a regular event in Shaila Kapoor’s life in a smart suburb of energy-hungry India’s national capital. “It’s a nightmare,” said Kapoor, a teacher. “We’ve power back-up (from a battery) but it doesn’t last long and then we either melt in the heat or drive to a mall.” Few questions remain. Such as--has the deal been signed for political mileage in the forthcoming elections or has the deal been signed for economic interests of a few select people? Nuclear power supplied 15.8 billion kilo Watt hour (2.5 per cent) of India’s electricity in 2007 from 3.7 GWe (of 110 Giga Watts equivalent total) capacity. India’s fuel situation, with shortage of fossil fuels, is driving the nuclear investment for electricity. Nuclear will account for 25 per cent of India’s total supply by 2050, a one hundred times rise as compared to capacity in 2002. 
Also, would the government now stop promoting renewable sources that are much cleaner and more sustainable? There is a significant potential in India for generation of power from renewable energy sources—small hydro, biomass, wind and solar energy. Renewable energy currently generated in India now is 12,402.74 MW (Mega Watts). India is the world’s fourth largest producer of wind power after Germany, Spain, and the USA. Finally, what about the Uranium (Nuclear Reactor Fuel) that we will have to import? What about the radioactive residue we will have to safely dispose? What about the risk of radiation leaks during nuclear power generation process? Will the density of population permit safe installation of new nuclear power plants? We decided to take the opinion of teachers from a few reputed schools of India. |
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