Setu like a cyclotron accumulating thorium,
making India a nuclear resource zone
It is now common knowledge that beach sands are being exported and
that these sands contain strategic metals: thorium, titanium. Thorium
is strategic for the nation's nuclear programme; titanium is strategic
for the nation's space programme. These strategic metals should NOT be
allowed to be exported in any form or formulation and retained as
nation's reserves for nation's integrity and energy independence. It
is also reliably learnt (Hon'ble Pon. Radhakrishnan ji) that thorium
from IREL's stockpiles is also vanishing.
Dr S.Kalyanaraman
******************************
Strategic metals and resources of India Jayaram's article on thorium
placers is also confirmed by US Geological Survey at
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/thorium/thorimcs07.pdf
See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium
See also:
http://kalyan97.wordpress.com/2007/08/25/thorium-strategic-nuclear-fuel-of-india/
Don't you think that this world's wealth should be safeguarded? Who is
in charge for the security of this world's wealth, nation's wealth?
Dr S. Kalyanaraman
*************************************************
'Sethu's Like A Cyclotron Accumulating Thorium'
Girish Kuber MUMBAI (Economic Times, Bangalore, Page 3)
RASHTRIYA Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has found more credible reasons
to oppose the Centre's controversial Ram Setu project. The Sangh has
pointed out that the project will severely impact the country's
nuclear programme and undersea mineral resources.
Giving a scientific twist to its stance against the demolition of
Ram Setu (Adam's bridge) under the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal
Project (SSCP), the Sangha has cautioned that rich deposits of
Thorium, considered important for energy independence, would be
disturbed if the Ram Setu is destroyed.
The Rs 2,300 crore SSCP has been mired in controversy ever since
it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July 2005. The
decision to destroy the Rama Setu, the ancient bridge between India
and Sri Lanka, as the Sangh claims, is against India's heritage,
religious sentiments, environment and the poor farmers of Tamil Nadu.
Former international banker Dr S Kalyanaraman, who is currently
spearheading Sangh's mission to enlighten people on the project, in a
detailed presentation to a select group of mediamen harped on
country's energy security vis-a-vis the project. He referred to
various studies that have reported precious mineral deposits including
that of thorium on a coastline close to Ram Setu. A large deposit of
titanium too has been found in the region around the sethu.
Although uranium is the only naturally occurring fissile element
directly usable in a nuclear reactor, India has just about 0.8% of the
world's uranium reserves and as such is dependent on import. But it's
been proved beyond doubt that thorium can replace uranium.
Why should we jeopardise these thorium deposits," he asked.
According to official data, India has around 3,00,000 tonnes of
thorium reserves — third largest in the world — in the beach sands of
Manavalakurichi in Tamil Nadu, Aluva and Chavara in Kerala and
Chatrapura in Orissa. "These deposits are waiting to be tapped. The
setu acts like a cyclotron accumulating placer deposits. This natural
system will be destroyed if the project is implemented," Dr
Kalyanaraman said.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=ETBG/2008/06/02/3/Img/Pg003.png
(Page 3, 2 June 2008 ET Bangalore edition)
