Hazards of a Nuclear World:

The-picture painted abdve  seems rosy. Yet, it does have a few shades of grey. There are many  risks associated with the use of  nuclear fission energy. These risks have caused world-wide debate, controversy and at times fear. Accidents have happened in nuclear power plants everywhere  in the world. In 1986, there was a major nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the _then USSR. Rare as  they are, sltch accidents raise demands fm.a complete ban on nuclear power plants. However, an unbiased assessment of the pasr accidents indicates  that this is not the answer.

A better solution lies in the need to'resssess plant,safety, devise improved methods of  avoiding or containing  the extent of mishaps. In India, there has been heated discussion on this issue, but on the basis of several precautions and safety measures, it has been decided  to go ahead with the programme Tgeneratingabout 4000 Megawatt power by this  method. by  the year 2000 A.D. Another major problem is the disposal of radio-active waste material from the spent uranium rods of  the nuclear reactors. Several alternatives are being tried out everywhere  in the world, for example, burying it thousands of  feet deep in  the earth or in the ocean bed. Some western countries were recently reported to be dumping  the highly injurious radio-active waste in African or South American countries. From mining of  the ore, to nuclear waste disposal,-each  step in the nuclear fuel cycle carries risks. The risks and benefits of each step depend largely on a strict watch over malfunction and human error. The challenge is to eliminate the risks and to increase  the benefits.