Question : DEVELOPMENT OF IRRADIATION UNITS

(a) whether the Atomic Energy Commission is developing irradiation units to disinfect industrial products;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether India is producing radio-isotopes to support such irradiation and industrial uses;

(d) if so, the production targets of indigenous production of radio-isotopes for industrial agricultural and medical goods disinfection for the next three years;

(e) whether there is any possibility of earning foreign exchange from the indigenous production; and

(f) if so, the targets fixed for the next three years in this regard;

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF ATOMIC ENERGY AND SPACE (SHRIMATI VASUNDHARA RAJE)

(a) Yes Sir. Irradiation technology is being used to disinfect industrial, medical as well as food products.

(b) The Department owns and operates a plant for sterilization of medical products (ISOMED) at Trombay, Mumbai and one in Navi Mumbai for radiation processing of spices and other products. A plant for sludge hygienization (SHRI) has been set up at Baroda. Plants have been set up at Kotttayam, Kerala for Rubber Board for vulcanization of rubber latex, one plant each at Shriram Centre for Industrial Research, Delhi, and Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO), Bangalore has been set up for sterilization of medical products. Yet another plant has been set up at Jodhpur for Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for R&D purposes.

(c) Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology(BRIT), a constituent unit under the Department of Atomic Energy is producing Cobalt-60, a radioisotope to support such units.

(d) Presently, BRIT can produce 1.25 MCi / year of Co-60 sources. After completion of an on going plan project, this capacity will be doubled by 2004.

(e) While there are such possibilities, our primary aim to meet domestic requirements.

(f) Does not arise.