Harnessing nuclear energy for constructive purposes is not without risks but the country has the intelligence required to handle the challenges of using it, said Sharad Kale, Head, Technology Transfer, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He was speaking to reporters at a meet titled ‘An awareness programme on nuclear energy for a better society’, organised by St. Aloysius College here on Thursday. He said there was an impression that nuclear energy was dangerous as people first learned about it when the atom bomb was dropped. But nuclear energy was used in the sectors of agriculture, food, medicines, industry, environment, and hydrology. He said, “We want to change the perception”. Firstly, the concept of nuclear energy should be explained to people and they should be made aware of the science behind it and secondly, people should accept the risk involved in harnessing it, he said. He said, “We can’t say it is free of risk”. Nuclear energy was a double-edged sword, which could be used for good or bad, which was why it was important to handle it correctly. As with anything else, one should not be complacent about nuclear energy. However, he said, “(We should) accept the challenge. We have the intelligence to develop it through proper training and orientation”. When asked about the tsunami in Japan, following which the nuclear plant there led to more challenges, he said there were lessons to be learnt from the disaster in the Fukushima nuclear reactor. While the tsunami was unprecedented in its scale, there were warnings that the reactor should have had a third-level safety measure. In India, a tsunami hit Kalpakkam but the reactor was unaffected as it was situated at a height. He said BARC had developed mutant varieties of several pulses such as of groundnuts that covered almost all of the country. People must not throw wet (biodegradable) waste in plastic bags as this prevented both the container and the contents from degrading, said Sharad Kale, Head, Technology Transfer, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). She said, “Do not throw waste in a plastic bag. Neither (the plastic bag nor the wet waste within it) can be recycled”. If everyone segregated waste, there would ultimately be no need for a dumping yard. Mr. Kale said BARC’s ‘Nisarga Runa’ (‘loan from nature’) technology helped convert biodegradable solid waste into useful manure and methane. It was different from normal manuring as methane was collected and could be reused instead of wasting it by allowing it into the atmosphere, which caused pollution. The technology was used in 90 waste manuring plants in Maharashtra, 12 plants in Bangalore, and 25 plants in Kerala. Mangalore’s Urwa Market had a plant that was based on BARC’s Nisarga Runa technology. He said, “The Municipal Corporation of Mangalore is giving very good support”.