IGCAR nuclear scientist U Kamachi Mudali appointed as Chief of Heavy Water Board

Nuclear scientist U Kamachi Mudali in August 2017 was appointed the Chief Executive of the Heavy Water Board, one of the industrial units under the Department of Atomic Energy.

The appointment was announced on 31 August 2017 by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).

Mudali assumed the charge of the Board on 1 September 2017.

Prior to being appointed as the Chief of the Heavy Water Board, he served as the Group Director of the IGCAR at Kalpakkam.

An M.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mudali specialised in advanced materials, corrosion, coating technology, and reprocessing research and development at the IGCAR. He has studied for Applied Science degrees at Coimbatore Institute of Technology and PSG College of Technology.

About Heavy Water Board

• The Heavy Water Board is a constituent unit under the Department of Atomic Energy in the Government of India.

• The organisation is primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water (D2O) which is used as a 'moderator' and 'Coolant' in nuclear power as well as research reactors.

• Other than Heavy Water, the Board is also engaged with production of different types of nuclear grade solvents and extraction of rare materials.

• India is one of the largest manufacturers of heavy water in the world.

• The Board has plants at Kota, Thal, Talcher, Hazira, Vadodara, Manuguru and Tuticorin.

• The plants also develop other materials relevant for Department of Atomic Energy and others, like Boron, Sodium, Oxygen-18, Potassium, and organic solvents.