Ice Station Zebra

And when Union Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal will visit Antarctica sometime between February 1 and 5, 2005, he will examine the new site, both for its scientific pursuits and legal issues under the governing Antarctic Treaty. This examination is much needed since the focus of Antarctic science is gradually changing. Under the Atlantic Treaty (1961), signatories had to abandon territorial claims and preserve Antarctica for scientific research. But increasingly claimant states are not above asserting sovereign rights in their individual sectors. Sibal will become the first Indian minister to visit the region.

Says Sibal: ‘‘George Fernandes (former Defence Minister) went to Siachen 30 times but he did nothing…My plan is to boost India’s scientific capability as well as understand the future of this frozen continent.’’ The Indian urgency to send a minister is understandable considering that the House of Lords Select Committee led by Lord R Oxburgh visited the continent this January.

THE new site will come up some 600 km east of Maitri, near the foot of the Larsemann hills. It will cost about Rs 15 crore and will take at least three to four Antarctic summers to complete. The choice of the site is a considered decision, rooted in history.

About 180 million years ago, this stretch of land between Maitri and Larsemann Hills was attached to India’s eastern coast. This was the time when India, South Africa, Australia and Africa were joined together and formed the landmass known as Gondwana Land, says Dr Harsh Gupta, secretary, Ocean Development, who incidentally, had led the first scientific expedition to establish Dakshin Gangotri in 1984. About 40 million years ago, India separated from this land mass and collided with the Euroasia mass moving at a speed of four cm per year in the north-north-east direction, giving birth to the Himalayas.

According to Gupta while the commercial usage of Antarctica is frozen by the 1991 Madrid Protocol, India will put its case for this 600 km stretch of land whenever the legal claims for such usage are decided by the International comity of nations.

Since the days of Gangotri, New Delhi posts 65 scientists during summer months (between November and February) and 25 during winters. After Gangotri was abandoned once the ice-shelf had outlived its life, the Ocean Development Department spends more than 20 crore annually on the upkeep of Maitri.

Apart from geopolitics, Antarctica also plays a critical role in world climate change. It is here the ozone hole was discovered by British scientists in 1985. Now, according to Gupta, the hole has narrowed and India plans to undertake a serious study of the region’s meteorology in the next two years.

The race for Antarctica opened in 1957-58, the International Geophysical year, with 12 countries including the US pooling in their resources to start 47 stations. And it’s showing no signs of slowing down.