India’s 35-year-old research station in Antarctica needs urgent upgrades, says NCPOR director

Presently, India has two operational research stations at Antarctica – Maitri and Bharati. Dakshin Gangotri was first station to be built before 1985 but is no longer operational.

Every year, NCPOR-coordinated voyages with Indian scientists, meteorologists and researchers are sent to Antarctica. They spend anywhere between a month to a year across seasons mainly gathering in-situ samples, maintaining equipment and taking-up other scientific activities.

“There is an urgent need for the revamping of the Maitri station, which is more than 35 years old. The NCPOR is focusing on the same,” Beg told The Indian Express via email, on the occasion of Earth Day.

Commissioned during 1988-1989 to operate for a period of ten years, Maitri is an important station that allows scientists to collect geological, meteorological and geophysical data. This data is useful in understanding and drawing timely inferences about climate change and other scientific areas. Thus, continuing its operations holds key.

As per the proposed plan drawn by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the process of identifying a more favourbale and an environment-friendly site is underway. Once the revamping of the station is complete, it will be a green facility capable of housing an improved number of visiting scientists, both during the summer and winter seasons.

With harsh weather and greater research possibilities needing international collaborations, Beg said that building the third research station was not viable.

“For a vast continent like Antarctica, having only two stations for research domains is certainly not enough. But at the same time, building more stations is also not a viable option. This, as research activity can be carried out through collaborations with other nations having stations, with similar areas of interest,” added Beg.

The US, UK, France, Chile, Belgium, Australia, Germany are among the leading nations with multiple research stations operational at Antarctica.

With the United Nations having declared 2021–2030 as the decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, there are a number of initiatives — including improving coastal livelihoods, protecting sea and ocean, ocean literacy, restoring coral reefs — all aimed at increasing the resourcefulness of the oceans.

NCPOR, Beg said, is the nodal agency in the national project titled ‘ Mapping of Exclusive Economic Zone of India’.

Along with the two collaborating institutions CSIR – National Institute of Oceanography, Goa and MoES-National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, surveys to identify potent zones along India’s vast coastline running over 7,500 kms is underway.

“Jointly, we have been surveying and mapping the exclusive economic zone of India. The data generated will act as a baseline data for further studies,” he said.

India is among the select few elite nations to have dedicated ocean missions. Two years ago, India announced a Rs 4,000 crore-

Deep Ocean Mission to be spearheaded by the MoES. As part of this mission, scientists will be undertaking deep sea mining, sending a manned submersible, development of ocean climate change advisory services and technology for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity and performing deep ocean survey and setting up of a marine station for ocean biology in the Indian Ocean. India has also announced projects that will contribute towards the Blue Economy, envisioned by the Government of India, over the next decade.

Being the third largest of the oceans, studying the Indian Ocean holds immense importance. Studies are also significant as it enjoys a unique location, provides vital sea lanes to some of the largest economies of the Asian region.

“Besides trade, the scientific research and exploration in the Indian Ocean is vital to understand its response to the changing climate, earthquakes, tsunamis and other hazards. The scientific research also deepens our understanding as to how anthropogenic activities affect the Indian Ocean,” the NCPOR director said.