Question.
What is nuclear power? Mention the important nuclear power stations in India.
(NCERT class 12 geography, India People and Economy, Chapter-7-Mineral and Energy Resources)
Answer.
When we bombard the nucleus of a heavy atom like uranium or thorium or plutonium with low-energy neutrons, the heavy atomic nucleus splits into lighter nuclei and a huge amount of energy is released. The energy produced by this process is called nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is generated by the process of nuclear fission and the most important minerals used for the production of nuclear power are uranium and thorium.
Nuclear energy is a conventional source of energy similar to fossil fuels (coal, petroleum). It is not a sustainable source of energy as it is an exhaustible resource.
In recent times, nuclear has emerged as a viable source of energy.
In India,
Uranium is found in the Dharwar rocks and is found in the copper belt of Singhbhumi, Rajasthan (Udaipur, Alwar, Jhunjhunu), Durg district of Chhattisgarh, Bhandara district of Maharashtra, Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
Thorium is obtained mainly from monazite and ilmenite sands off the coast of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is also found near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mahanadi delta in Odisha.
Following are the names of the major nuclear power stations of India-
- Tarapur (Maharashtra)
- Rawatbhata near Kota (Rajasthan)
- Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu)
- Narora (Uttar Pradesh)
- Kaiga (Karnataka)
- Kakarpara (Gujarat)
Development of Nuclear Power in India:
- In 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission was established.
- In 1954, the Atomic Energy Institute was established in Trombay.
- In 1967, the Institute of Atomic Energy changed its name to Bhabha Atomic Research Center.
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