BARC to set up 3 plants for processing alternate crops

HANDIGARH: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre ( BARC) will set up three multi-product radiation processing technology demonstration plants for high yielding varieties of basmati, potato and other alternate crops in Punjab.

A high-level team of BARC called on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today, an official release said today.

The team comprising Associate Director Group and Head Isotope Applications and Radiopharmaceuticals Division Gursharan Singh, among others, informed the Chief Minister that the BARC would provide technology and engineering support for setting up of these plants which would also process onions, wheat, suji, maida, spices and other commodities.

The team also apprised Badal that the institute would also provide high yielding varieties of sugarcane, pulses including groundnuts to the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) for its trials, which would be subsequently recommended to farmers for sowing.

Apart from this, team also agreed to suggest the technology for storage of potatoes in the state on scientific lines.

In another significant development, the BARC would set up an Isotope Hydrology Laboratory for carrying the groundwater investigations at Mohali.

The laboratory would be instrumental for detection of uranium, arsenic, phosphorous in ground water and its migration to determine the interconnectivity between aquifers and their recharge, age of water and water table assessment. The visiting team from BARC also assured the Chief Minister to assist the state by providing training to the staff and technical knowhow for running this high-tech laboratory.

The team would also assist PAU in submitting its research proposals of different identified crop improvement areas like mutation breeding, soil health improvement, crop nutrition management to the Board of Research and Nuclear Science (BRNS).

A detailed project for enhancing the shelf lifeof Kinnow, Litichi, Guava, Pear and Mushrooms would also be submitted to BRNS.

BARC also agreed to assist the state in long term field testing and demonstration of membrane based water purification technologies for domestic water purification, cycle mounted water purification and community size water purifications.

On the demonstration basis, the BARC agreed to install this technology on a tube well in Ludhiana city and in one of the Government Schools in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.

To ensure efficient liquid and solid waste management of hospitals, the state government would submit a status report to BARC detailing the volume, type of contamination and present practices of disposals of liquid and solid waste generated in the health sector.

The Chief Minister also mooted a proposal to the BARC for adopting five villages of the state to synergize the efforts of state for ensuring health and hygiene services to people.

The Chief Minister also demanded a sub centre of BARC in Punjab so as to effectively tackle the issues relating to environment and pollution in a holistic manner.