Gamma plant in Hyd byMay

Gamma Agro-Medical Processing Private Limited, a newly incorporated company of Hyderabad-based Gamma Weld Inspection Services, is setting up a commercial food irradiation plant in Medak district.

Coming up on three acres at the Export Promotion Industrial Park in IDA-Pashamylaram, the Rs 5.56-crore plant is expected to start commercial operations by the third week of May this year.

"Machinery has already been installed and the project is expected to be completed by this month-end. We intend to start a 15-day trial run from the first week of May and commercial operations after getting statutory clearances," PB Kaginalli, managing director of Gamma Agro-Medical, told mediapersons here on Monday.

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) would provide the necessary technology to Gamma Agro for running the plant. This would be the first commercial food irradiation plant in south India.

At present, there are six such plants in the country "" two in Mumbai, and one each in Baroda, Agra, Kolkata and Delhi.