City company builds ‘longest’ periscope for Kalpakkam plant

Coimbatore: A10-metre long periscope manufactured by a city-based firm for a nuclear re actor at the Indira Gandhi Cen-tre for Atomic Research (IG-CAR) in Kalpakkam was dedicated to the nation on Mon-day The manufacturers claimed that the periscope was the longest in the world. Manufactured at a cost of Rs 3.9 crore by Coimbatore-based Visual Education Aids (P) Ltd (VEA) in collaboration with IG-CAR and others, the periscope was handed over to Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (Bha vini), Kalpakkam, by IGCAR director SC Chetal here. Built with specification from Bhavini and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre over a period of two-and-half years, MILESTONE: The 10-metre long periscope was maunfactured at a cost of Rs 3.9 crore the periscope can function un der high temperature and radi-ation. This periscope has facili-ties for scanning the area of interest, image zooming, image relay image focusing and im age rotation, which are motori- sed and can be remotely operat ed by an operator with a remote control panel. Chetal claimed that devel-oping the periscope was a ma jor step’s in the country’s goal to become self-sufficient in tech nology and is a good example of public-private partnership to produce world class quality equipment. He said except two reactors in Tarapur and another two in Tamil Nadu all the other eight nuclear reactors have been in digenously built. India plans to generate 20, 000 MW of power through nuclear reactor in the next two decades. More reac tors would come up in next dec ade, he added. VEA director J Balu said the periscope will be taken to Kalpakkam soon. Twenty peo ple worked on the project.