Mumbai, Nov 15: With the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) completing 25 years of its inception, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar on Saturday said the country's nuclear programme faces several challenges as it expands with diverse types of nuclear power plants.
"AERB will face several challenges in the coming years as it has to deal with light water reactors, fast breeder reactors and thorium based reactors," Kakodkar said, addressing the AERB Silver Jubilee function held here today.
"The Board has proved to be an excellent regulatory body for the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors and I am sure they will excel in regulating safety requirements of other types of reactors," he said.
Kakodkar also released a book on history of AERB.
AERB Chairman S K Sharma, on the occasion, said that the Board during the last one year has prepared six monographs on subjects, including site selection for the nuclear reactors, safety of reactor construction and seismological studies of the sites.
AERB has now the experience of how to review imported Light Water Reactors due to the last over 15 years of experience in studying and implementing safety norms for the two Russian reactors which are under advanced stages of construction, Sharma said.
The AERB, constituted on November 15, 1983 under the Atomic Energy Act and the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 works to ensure that the use of ionising radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risks to health and the environment.
The board is supported by the Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants (SARCOP), Safety Review Committee for Applications of Radiation (SARCAR) and Advisory Committees for Project Safety Review (ACPSRs) (eg nuclear power projects, light water reactor projects, waste management projects etc).
ACPSR's recommend to AERB issuance of authorisations at different stages of a plant of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), after reviewing the submissions made by the plant authorities based on the recommendations of the associated Design Safety Committees.
The SARCOP carries out safety surveillance and enforces safety stipulations in the operating units of the DAE.
The SARCAR recommends measures to enforce radiation safety in medical, industrial and research institutions which use radiation and radioactive sources.
AERB also receives advice from Advisory Committee on Nuclear Safety (ACNS) which is composed of experts from AERB, DAE and institutions outside the DAE.
Prof A K De, first Chairman of AERB, Dr S D Soman, Chairman and Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India S K Jain and other senior scientists and engineers from DAE were also present at the function.
Bureau Report