The Manmohan Singh government’s negotiations with the Bush administration on the civilian nuclear deal will not come in the way of its indigenous nuclear R&D programmes.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 94th Indian Science Congress, Anil Kakodkar, secretary in the department of atomic energy, said here on Thursday: ?Our own nuclear R&D should go on as per our own design. The recent US-India civilian nuclear deal should not come in the way. If necessary, we should negotiate with US on this.? The domestic programme is independent of the deal and it will go on, he clarified.
Replying to queries, he admitted there were concerns in the country that the nuclear deal could come in the way of India’s R&D. He said any external help in meeting India’s energy requirements was welcome.
Kakodar, who is also the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, said that construction of the country’s first advanced heavy water reactor (AHWR) using thorium as fuel would begin this year. He, however, declined to reveal the site of the 300 MW AHWR project. “The cost of setting up the reactor is being worked out,” he said.
He said the thorium-based AHWR was currently undergoing pre-licensing review by the Atomic Energry Regulatory Board. A brainchild of Kakodkar, the AHWR will be a technology demonstrator reactor, and take about five to six years to complete.
“It is just the first step. There is need for more development, he added.