Tuesday, February 8 2005 21:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India is setting up a new "state-of-the-art" station in Antarctica which will be completed by 2007-08, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal announced in New Delhi today (Feb 8, 2005).

"At present 18 countries are engaged in operations at 44 bases in Antarctic round the year," Sibal told reporters after his recent visit to the icy continent during 2-4 February.

"India also proposes to strengthen its presence in Antarctica by constructing another state-of-the-art base East of Maitri at Prydz Bay," Sibal said adding it would take at least Rs 20 crore to set up the new system.

With a state-of-the-art system, the Prime Minister or President could also visit Antarctica, Sibal, who is the first Indian Minister to visit the continent, said.

The Minister said that preliminary survey has been completed for the new station and detailed surveys are being carried out to develop a proposal as per the norms and guidelines of the international Antarctic Treaty which guides activities of nations on Antarctica.

The new station would be located right next to sea, at 1650 kilometers from the current station, Maitri, by sea route, Department of Ocean Development Secretary Dr Harsh Gupta said. It would be 600 km from Maitri in terms of "crow fly" distance.

The station would be used to carry out research activities like exploring Indian and Antarctic connection in terms of geography and movement of the fastest moving Lambert glacier, he said. The place is expected to be rich in metals like platinum, nickel, and cobalt, he said.

The new station would also carry out research on tectonic plate movement and mineral mapping, Sibal said.

The Minister also that the existing Maitri station would be modernised and upgraded while new vehicles would be provided to those working in Antarctica. The existing vehicles move with a speed of 15 km per hour, while the new vehicles would have speed of 35 km per hour, he said.

India would build "containerised labs" on the icy continent which would have all the facilities, including those for sleeping, toilet and research activities, he said.

Ensuring comfortable environment for scientist in Antarctica, Sibal said experienced scientists should go to carry out research activities there as currently only young scientists were engaged in research activities in Antarctica.

Average age of Russian scientists in Antarctica was 50 years, he said.

Stating that science could be carried out only in continuity, Sibal said details of the forthcoming 24th, 25th and 26th expeditions to Antarctica would be finalised by December 2005.

India would host the 30th Antarctic Treaty Committee Meeting (ACTM) in 2007. The country would also celebrate international Polar year in 2007-08 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), he said.

The Government would strengthen the infrastructure of National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), he said.