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Special Material Enrichment Facility (SMEF)
Challakere, Karnataka

Adrian Levy reported in the Washington-based Foreign Policy magazine that India is building a “secret nuclear city” at Challakere in Karnataka state to produce thermonuclear weapons. It was expected to be completed by 2017, becoming the subcontinent’s largest complex of nuclear centrifuges. The report claimed that if the factory operated as expected, and even if some of the fuel was used in submarines, India could still have enough extra HEU to make 22 new H-bombs a year.

"When completed in 2017, Challakere facility would be) the subcontinent's largest military-run complex of nuclear centrifuges, atomic-research laboratories, and weapons- and aircraft-testing facilities. But another, more controversial ambition, according to retired Indian government officials and independent experts in London and Washington, is to give India an extra stockpile of enriched uranium fuel that could be used in new hydrogen bombs, also known as thermonuclear weapons, substantially increasing the explosive force of those in its existing nuclear arsenal."

The facility, being built in Challakere (200 km from Bengaluru) in Chitradurga district, upon completion will "expand the government's nuclear research, to produce fuel for India's nuclear reactors, and to help power the country's fleet of new submarines" the report said. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) are two agencies involved in the construction of the military complex in Challakere.

Western analysts told Foreign Policy that while the construction of nuclear complex is still underway, India had been making preparations for enrichment for the past four years at its Rare Materials Plant, a top-secret site location near Mysore. Satellite images of the top-secret nuclear complex in Mysore revealed the presence of a "nuclear enrichment complex that is already feeding India's weapons program and, some Western analysts maintain, laying the groundwork for a more ambitious hydrogen bomb project," the Foreign Policy investigative report claimed.

The Department of Atomic Energy and senior officials in New Delhi have said the Challakere campus is a 'special material enrichment' facility meant for civilian nuclear plants. Atomic scientists privy to the developments told Times of India that enriched uranium will have military use. "Every nation has to take care of its military needs and the research will also be to enhance military capabilities," a scientist said.

Various defense, industrial, research and infrastructure projects were proposed in Challakere Talukare to be sited in common grazing pastures and grassland ecosystems. These were legally protected as Amrit Mahal Kavals, originally set aside for grazing the special breed of Amrit Mahal cattle. This cattle breed was accorded such an important place as they formed a fundamental support system of armies that roamed across these landscapes for centuries. Along with other indigenous breeds, the Amrit Mahal cattle (with their high degree of tolerance to drought) were employed in supporting agriculture in rather harsh semi-arid conditions. The Kaval lands were extraordinarily well-protected grassland ecosystems which was achieved through the appointment of a Kavalgara (Kaval protector) who ensured that the Amrit Mahal breeds got the first right of grazing in the post-monsoon period.

During the years 2009-2010, at least 10,000 acres of grassland ecosystems (protected for centuries as Amrit Mahal Kavals) in Challakere Taluk of Chitradurga District were diverted by then Deputy Commissioner of Chitradurga, Amlan Aditya Biswas, for various defense, industrial, infrastructure, institutional and commercial purposes. Though these decisions may have had the approval of the Karnataka Cabinet, the entire exercise was undertaken without involving any of the local elected governments, local MLAs, and relevant departments dealing with forests, lakes, agriculture, animal husbandry, horticulture, commons lands, planning, etc.

That a nuclear facility is coming up in their midst was no secret to the residents of Challakere taluk in Chitradurga district, about 200 km from Bengaluru. They had been watching an imposing stone compound wall gradually seal off 10,000 acres of land in the area for four years. By 2015 they had been protesting against the facility for five years, fearing that uranium is harmful to the villagers, crops and the environment.

The wall surrounds an area treasured by the local people – common pastoral lands called Amrit Mahal kavals. In February 2014 the National Green Tribunal ordered all construction activity be stopped because the requisite permissions had not been obtained from the environment ministry. This came in response to a petition by local non-governmental organisations and Bengaluru's Environment Support Group. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre told the activists that the clearances had been received but could not be shared on account of security concerns.

Background

Challakere is a tehshil and a municipal board in Chitradurga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Challakere is famous for handloom weaving. Earlier most households had a hand loom installed in their houses. The common items woven were lungi and gamcha. These used to be supplied to wholesale buyers in the township who would then send them to the Indian markets. Now most of the hand looms have been replaced by power looms. Challakere lies on the banks of the river Tons. There is a new bridge over the river now providing all weather transport. The latitude and longitude of Challakere is 14.32 and 76.65. Ullarathi Kaval is an agglomeration of 22 villages about 18 km from Challakere. As per 2011 census,Total population of Challakere is 365,784. Based on population, Challakere is ranked 2nd in Chitradurga district and ranked 42nd in Karnataka.

Chitradurga is a hilly district dotted with age-old forts and villages. The district is bounded by Tumkur District to the southeast and south, Chikmagalur District to the southwest, Davanagere District to the west, Bellary District to the north, and Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh to the east. Davanagere District was formerly part of Chitradurga. The total area of the District is 8,388 square kilometres, which is divided into six taluks, namely Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Hosadurga, Holalkere, Molakalmuru and Challakere.

Karnataka is one of the most industrially advanced states in India, driven by its entrepreneurial spirit, innovative outlook and a stable, approachable Government. These attributes have made it the fastest growing state in India. Karnataka is known to be a center of the hi-tech industry with multiple firms in robotics, semi-conductor chip design, nano technology and advanced materials. The best and the largest global companies across sectors have their R&D and Innovation centers.

The Kaiga Generating Station is located amidst a green forest in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Kaiga is a tiny village surrounded by lush green, enchanting tropical forests with many water falls and streams. Situated 56 km east of Karwar and 13 km upstream of Kadra Dam on the left bank of the Kali river in Karnataka, Kaiga has found a place in the nuclear energy map of the world now.

On 24 September, 1999 at 14.51 p.m. when the Reactor Monitor Control Meter of Kaiga-2 showed the Neutron Count of 25000 PPM, the reactor achieved criticality. Shri R. Chidambaram, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and other senior officers, scientists and engineers, watching the process had a sigh of relief on successfully accomplishing the task as per plans. Natural uranium is the fuel for the reactor.

In 1986 when the project was taken up there was a big hue and cry. There were vociferous demands to give up the Kaiga nuclear power project. The reason behind the widespread agitation was the incidents at Chernobyl in the then USSR. Kaiga being located in a heavy rainfall area and in a zone prone to earthquakes, triggered the opposition to the project.

While natural uranium is the fuel in the Kaiga reactors, heavy water is its moderator and coolant. In natural uranium two types of isotopes -U238 and U235 - are available in the ratio of 139:1. It is the less abundant U235 isotopes that causes fissions and produces energy. When a U235 atom is struck by a slow thermal neutron, it will split into 2 or more fragments. When a heavy nucleus is split up into smaller nuclei, a small amount of mass is converted into energy. This break-up of nuclei is nuclear fission.

The heart of the reactor is calandria. A horizontal cylindrical vessel, calandria contains moderator and coolant channel assemblies. A 220 MW unit basically consists of 306 horizontal pressure tube assemblies which are housed in a stainless steel vessel called calandria and supported at either end by massive stainless steel structures called end shields. The pressure tube assemblies containing natural uranium fuel bundles are surrounded by heavy water moderator inside the calandria. The heat produced due to fission in the natural uranium bundles is removed by the heavy water coolant which transfers the heat to light water contained in the secondary side of the steam generators to produce steam. The steam is released into the turbine which drives the generator to produce electricity.

Heat generated in fuel bundles as a result of uranium fission is removed by the heavy water serving as a primary coolant. Fuelling machines are located at each end of the coolant channel. At full load the machine introduces about 8 fuel bundles in one channel per day.