Research Station in Antarctica

The construction of the third Indian research station in Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica was initiated in 2009-10. The basic infrastructure and shifting of heavy construction machinery at the site was accomplished. In the year 2010-11, the stilt foundation was made ready, roads built, fuel storage farm and pipe lines were erected. During the current year 2011-12, the superstructure has been built. The station has been running on a trial basis. The first winter over team has started living there and has commenced their work of testing of equipments and systems, the Minister of State for Planning, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Ashwani Kumar stated in a written reply in Lok Sabha today ‘Maitri’, India’s second Research Station was built in 1988-89  ‘Maitri’ has been serving as the gateway for Indian scientists to venture into interior Antarctic mountains. The meteorological, geomagnetic, geological, glaciological and seismological observations have continuously been collected and contribute data to Indian and international data centres and prove the utility of this station. the year 2011-12, a sum of Rs. 95 Crore was earmarked for Indian Antarctic Expeditions. This expedition involved the voyage of the scientists to Antarctica to do the research, maintenance of the Antarctic station and providing the scientists necessary infrastructure and logistic support to perform their experiments. Most of the scientific programs such as monitoring of Antarctic climate, synoptic measurement of weather parameters, monitoring of ozone hole, recording of fluctuation of ice sheet margin, aerosol monitoring, fluctuation of snout of glacier, Ionospheric measurements etc., have direct bearing on the understanding of processes of Climate Change The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research—a research and development body functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India—controls the Indian Antarctic program

Research stations - Background

Indian Research Stations in Antarctica

Dakshin Gangotri

In 1981 the Indian flag unfurled for the first time in Antarctica, marking the start of Southern Ocean expeditions under the environmental protocol of the Antartica Treaty (1959). The first permanent settlement was built in 1983 and named Dakshin Gangotri. In 1989 it was abandoned after it became buried in ice.

Maitri

• The second permanent settlement, Maitri, was put up in 1988–89 on theSchirmacher Oasis and has been conducting experiments in geology, geography and medicine. India built a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadharshini. Maitri accomplished the mission of geomorphologic mapping of Schirmacher Oasis.

Bharati(2012)

• India has demarcated an area beside Larsmann Hill at 69°S, 76°E for its third settlement and second active research station. The survey has already been completed and the station is scheduled to be operational by 2012.
• When it is complete, India will enter the elite group of nine nations having multiple stations within the Antarctic Circle. Bharati is proposed for oceanographic research and will collect evidence of continental breakup to reveal the 120-million-year-old ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. In news sources this station is variously spelled "Bharathi "Bharti and "Bharati