Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today envisaged technical support from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to explore an eco-friendly and time tested technology for the eradication of heavy metals like uranium completely from the ground water in the state. The Chief Minister led a team of eminent experts and senior officers of the state administration which called on the top brass of the BARC, here this morning.
Mr. Badal during marathon discussions with the scientists of BARC asked them to intensify their research work by making optimum utilization of their unbounded talent and vast experience to serve the ailing humanity through their recommendations to the state government for adopting an advanced, viable and eco-friendly technology for extraction of uranium content present in the ground water efficaciously. He offered to initiate a joint programme in this regard so as to tackle the menace of contaminated ground water effectively.
Lauding the role of BARC in the development of the Country through sustained peaceful applications of nuclear energy, the Chief Minister said that the need of the hour was to step up the nuclear research to strengthen the core sectors of health and agriculture, with a special focus to address the grave issue of unhygienic ground water, which had become hazardous to the very health of the inhabitants in southern Punjab as the majority of them were inflicted with the deadly diseases like Cancer.
On the occasion, the Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department through a power point presentation highlighted the present scenario of the polluted ground water in the state besides the unique initiatives taken by the state government to combat this serious problem. It was informed that the state government had installed as many as 1811 big RO systems especially in the affected rural areas to provide potable water to the public at an affordable cost of 10 paisa per litre. Extraction of heavy metals like uranium needed far more advanced, economical and eco-friendly technologies with waste water management facility as the reject water (residue) of ROs was again absorbed into the earth thereby keeping the situation of contaminated water unchanged and therefore a permanent and sustainable solution to this problem was warranted on the priority.
It may be recalled that the state government had also established a prestigious Regional Advanced Water Testing Laboratory at a cost Rs. 5 crore in Mohali with the technical support of BARC and it would be soon made operational. This was the country’s second such laboratory after Mumbai, which would cater to the needs of water sample testing of the northern region.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister sought co-operation and technical support from BARC to run and maintain the Mohali based Water Testing Laboratory with their proven track of expertise and rich experience. Mr. Badal evinced keen interest in various sections of the BARC multi-disciplinary nuclear research centre- equipped with an extensive infrastructure for advanced research and development in the field of nuclear science, health care, power generation, engineering and other related sectors.
Meanwhile, the scientists of BARC apprised the Chief Minister about the core mandate of the centre for sustaining the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation. It was also informed that the entire research of BARC was focused on the development of industrial, agricultural and medicine sectors. Presently, the BARC operates a number of ‘Research Reactors’ across the country. They also briefed Mr. Badal about different aspects of nuclear power generation and the utility of isotopes.
Mr. Badal also shared his concern for the depleting ground water table due to excessive sowing of paddy, in the state which was a water intensive crop and now made the situation of ground water far more deplorable. The Chief Minister added that their government had prepared a comprehensive crop persification plan to check the water depletion effectively on one hand and strengthen the agro-economy of the state on the other. He solicited BARC’s enormous support to help the state in suggesting ways and means in this regard and offered fulsome co-operation to establish a Sub-station in Punjab to provide vital inputs and logistic support to the state in this regard. He said that the state government would provide the requisite land for the centre to be set up as a joint venture.
Assuring technical support and co-operation to the Chief Minister in pursuing his initiatives for the supply of potable drinking water, checking the contamination of ground water and recharging the falling water table, the BARC Director Dr. Sekhar Basu said that his team would soon chalk out a comprehensive and time bound action plan in this regard for which he would soon send a team of scientists to visit Punjab for the collection of relevant data on the basis of which the centre would give its recommendations for the early resolution of these vexed issues relating to the health of the human beings besides putting the state’s Agricultural economy on strong pedestal.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Advisor on Health and Medical Education & Research Dr. KK Talwar, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar, Chief Technical Coordinator, Department of Water supply and Sanitation Mr. SR Aggarwal and Chief Engineer Water supply and Sanitation Mr. AK Soni. The scientists of BARC who participated in discussions included Dr. SK Apte, Mr. Manjit Singh, Dr. N Ramamoorthy, Dr. Gursharan Singh, Dr. SS Bajaj and Dr. PK Tewari besides, Joint Secretary (BS) DAE New Delhi Mr. KAP Sinha