FROM MID-SEA TO MOUNTAIN TOP

Think of this situation: You are in the process of learning swimming with someone's hand-holding.

- J. Devaprakash

 

Suddenly, you are left alone in the mid-sea to decide your own fate. Now, you have three options: one, give up and drown. Two, cry for help and wait till you get one or you drown. Three, strive hard, learn treading water, and move on. India chose the third when it comes to nuclear power generation. It is a fascinating story that how India sailed through hardships and challenges to become a first nuclear power nation in Asia and one of the largest nuclear power producers in the world. India was in its burgeoning stage in nuclear power technology during 1970s. Introduction of nuclear technology, as a first step, took place during this time. The first commercial nuclear power reactors of the country, rather in all of Asia, began to generate electricity in 1969 at Tarapur in Maharashtra. It was a turnkey project in which construction, commissioning and initial operation of the plant were by General Electric, USA. So, there was hardly any scope for the Indian industry to develop components or spares for such a then massive power unit. It had neither provided opportunity to the Indian talents to get a comprehensive knowledge about nuclear power plants.