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Centre no to neutrino observatory in Nilgiris
M Madhusudan | New Delhi
Coming as a major jolt to the country’s scientist community after three long years of wait, the Centre has denied the Department of Atomic Energy permission to set up the ambitious Rs 900-crore India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project at Singara in Nilgiris as it falls in the proposed buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). Instead, it has suggested its setting up at an alternate site — Suruliyar, in Tamil Nadu itself.
“I have taken a considerable amount of time listening to various points of view… However, I do think that, on balance, the decision must go against Singara,” Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh stated in his letter to Anil Kakodkar, Secretary, Secretary Department of Atomic Energy and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, on Friday.
Ramesh himself did not cite the issue of the MTR buffer zone in as many words but based his decision on the report by the one-member committee of Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
More intriguingly, Ramesh decided against the project despite commending the scientist fraternity for its “sensitivity demonstrated to environmental issues” in their environmental management plan and environment impact assessment of the proposed observatory and finding the scientists “as mindful of environmental issues as the NGOs who are against the project”.
Interestingly, Ramesh also acknowledged Indian Institute of Sciences ecologist and an expert on the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, R Sukumar’s opinion that the arguments against Singara were, to a very large extent, “exaggerated and misplaced”.
Gopal had in his report recommended against the setting up of the INO project at Singara on the grounds of the project site being “ecologically very sensitive owing to its corridor value, both for elephants as well as other wild animals” and since the construction phase, “despite safeguards, would involve disturbance in the core/critical tiger habitats of Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves owing to transportation”.
He said the proponents have preferred Singara owing to the prior scientific knowledge available about the site and the presence of the geological formation ‘Charnockite’, with an excavated cavern of known strength already existing in the area for a powerhouse at a depth of about 550 metres.
Hence, he suggested, they could explore the feasibility of setting up the observatory at Suruliyar instead having the desired geological formation, “rather than disturb the critical wildlife corridor at Singara which is already under great stress”. Suruliyar does not have any wildlife corridor value and disturbance to forests would be minimum, Gopal stated.
The issue had led to environmentalists and scientists pitched on opposite sides of the fence. Following Gopal’s report all eyes were on Ramesh, who had to take the final call. And as Ramesh himself pointed out that though he has always been a strong supporter of Indian science and would not like to do anything that would demoralise the Indian scientific community, yet as the Environment Minister he also has to be mindful of the large number of reports received by him against the proposed site and the very weighty reasons put forward by Gopal that would militate against Singara.
“I have come to the conclusion that the Singara site would not be advisable. Suruliyar should be seriously considered by the DAE,” he said. Scientists, however, point out that Suruliyar too is a reserved forest wherein trees need to be felled unlike in Singara.
BOX
Environment Ministry denies permission for Rs 900-crore INO project at Singara in Nilgiris
“ Decision based on NTCA report; suggests exploring feasibility of Suruliyar forests in Theni district in Tamil Nadu itself
“Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh writes to DAE Secretary Anil Kakodkar about it
"INO as a mega-science project was approved in 2006, included under current 11th Five Year Plan
“It proposes digging a cavern under Nilgiri Hills at 1.3 km to be accessed through a 2-km horizontal tunnel
“A gigantic magnetised detector weighing 50,000 tonnes was to be constructed inside the cavern to detect and study neutrinos
“Neutrions are sub-atomic particles holding the key to understand origin of universe and energy production in stars Indian scientists from 25 institutions besides two Nobel laureates of foreign origin backed it; site preferred due to its geological formation
“Environmentalists opposed it claiming it would threaten bio-diversity of Niligiris, also as it falls in the buffer zone of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, notified in 2008
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