HPAS/Allied Mains 2022 Answer Writing Challenge Day 256: Model Answer

Question: Nuclear Energy in India –“boon or bane”. Discuss. (8 marks/120 words)

Answer.

 In the last 7 years, the installed nuclear power capacity has grown from 4780MW in 2014 to 6780MW by 2021, an increase of over 40%. If this pace is maintained, nuclear energy can be part of the achievement pathways towards India’s target to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030.

Nuclear Energy in India as “boon”

• Nuclear reactions release a million times more energy, as compared to hydro or wind energy. Hence, a large amount of electricity can be generated. Presently, approximately 10-15% of the world’s electricity is generated through nuclear energy
• The biggest advantage of this energy is that greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon) are not released during a nuclear reaction.
• Nuclear reactors make use of uranium as fuel. Fission reaction of a small amount of uranium generates a large amount of energy. Currently, the reserves of uranium found on the Earth are expected to last for another 100 years. Secondly, using this energy can make many nations energy independent, and not dependent on those unearthing fossil fuels.
• Without human errors, accidents, or natural calamities, the nuclear reactors work very well and can go on for a long time. Secondly, once constructed, the plant requires very few people to operate it.

Nuclear Energy in India as “Bane”

• Although they produce large amount of energy, nuclear reactors depend on uranium, which is an exhaustible fuel. Its extinction can again cause a grave problem. Once exhausted, the reactors will be of no use, will have to be shutdown, but will remain occupying large area of land, and contaminating the environment.
• This energy can be used for production and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons make use of fission, fusion, or combination of both reactions for destructive purposes. They are a major threat to the world as they can cause a large-scale devastation. (e.g., atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
• Though large amount of energy can be produced from a nuclear power plant, it requires large capital cost. Around 10-15 years are required to develop a single plant. It is not very feasible to build a nuclear power plant. Secondly, one cannot ignore the fact that the nuclear reactors will work as long as uranium is available.
• The waste produced after fission reactions contains unstable elements, and is highly radioactive. It is very dangerous to the environment as well as human health, and remains so for hundreds of years. It needs professional handling and should be kept isolated from the living environment. The radioactivity of these elements reduces over a period, after decaying. Hence, they have to be carefully stored and disposed. It is very difficult to store radioactive elements for a long period.
• There have been two most disastrous nuclear power plant accidents to date: the Chernobyl disaster that occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (1986) in Ukraine, and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011) in Japan. Large amount of radiation was released in the environment after these incidents, leading to fatalities, damage of nature, and land. One cannot deny the possibility of repetition of such disasters in future.
• Transport of uranium fuel and the radioactive waste is very difficult. Uranium emits some amount of radiation, and hence, needs to be handled with care.