India has begun scouting for deep underground sites to store for several decades the nuclear waste generated from its atomic power programme.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee said that the Department of Atomic Energy will set up an underground laboratory in one of its uranium mines to study qualities of the rock at the mine bottom to decide whether it can be used to store nuclear waste.

He said the DAE plans to set up the underground facility during the 12th Plan Period for studying the Deep Geological Repository to store the high level nuclear waste.

Mr Banerjee said that in the first step, the waste will remain AT Tarapur facility for 30 years after which it would be transferred to the deep geological repository.

He said the repository will have radiation monitors to timely detect any radioactive leak in the region