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Wednesday, 30 May 2012

A soft launch of its 3rd research station “Bharti” in Antarctica's Larsemann Hills region by India

            India does a soft launch of its 3 rd Research Station “Bharti” in Antarctica’s Larsemann Hills region considered as one of the few geological windows into the history of the continent. The construction is over and it is being run on trial basis. The formal launch of the research station, “Bharti” is anticipated in November 2102 when it is summer time in Antarctica.

Objective:
    The research station would address the growing urge in the Indian scientific community for exploring deeper and wider areas of Antarctica for better understanding of the huge continent. India had earlier established its two stations in Antarctica:
1. Dakshin Gangotri (1984)
2. Maitri (1989-90)

Some more points:-
            Australia, Asia, Africa, South America and India were once part of a super-continent called Gondwanaland where the present day east coast of India shared a common border with the eastern shores of Antarctica. Indian polar scientists want to put this theory to test by examining rocks in river basins in the Indian subcontinent and minerals in the glaciers around the Larsemann Hills.
            The research station would address the growing urge in the Indian scientific community for exploring deeper and wider areas of Antarctica for better understanding of the vast continent. The siting and placement of the new research station was based on a location that would minimise the amount of snow drifting, minimise the need for extensive site modification and provide the best access to the sea and sea ice.
            The new station is located almost 3,000 km away from the existing 'Maitri' station. 'Maitri', which has been hosting summer team of about 70 members and winter team of 25 members every year since 1988-89, is the gateway for Indian scientists to venture into interior Antarctic mountains.
            India's first research station in Antarctica was Dakshin Gangotri (1983) which has been decommissioned after it got buried under ice and has now been marked as an historic site. The government has allocated Rs 290 crore in the Union Budget 2012-12 for polar sciences and cryosphere, which covers research activities at Antarctica, Arctic and glaciers of Himalayas.

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