Bharati (research station)

Bharati (Hindi: भारती) is a permanent Antarctic research station commissioned by India. It is India's third Antarctic research facility and one of two active Indian research stations, alongside Maitri. India's first committed research facility, Dakshin Gangotri, is being used as a supply base. India has demarcated an area beside Larsemann Hills at 69°S, 76°E for construction. The research station has been operational since 18 March 2012, though it is still being run on trial basis and formal launch is awaited.[2][3] Since its completion, India has become one of nine nations to have multiple stations within the Antarctic Circle. Bharati's research mandate focuses on oceanographic studies and the phenomenon of continental breakup. It also facilitates research to refine the current understanding of the Indian subcontinent's geological history. News sources have referred to the station variously as "Bharathi",[4] "Bharti"[5] and "Bharati".[6][7]

Bharati Station

भारती
Antarctic Research Station
Bharati Station
Location of Bharati Station in Antarctica
Coordinates: 69°24′29″S 76°11′14″E
Country India
Location in AntarcticaLarsemann Hills
Prydz Bay
Administered byNational Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
Established18 March 2012 (2012-03-18)
Population
 • Total
  • 47
  • summer up to: 72
TypeAll-year round
PeriodAnnual
StatusOperational
WebsiteNational Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research
Bharati Heliport
Summary
Airport typePrivate
Owner/OperatorNational Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
LocationBharati Station
Larsemann Hills
Coordinates69°24′24″S 76°11′36″E
Map
Bharati Heliport
Location of airfield in Antarctica
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
Concrete

Facilities

The project for setting up of the ground is undertaken by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for a contract value of ₹ 50 crore (₹ 500 million).

High-speed satellite raw data would be beamed in real time from Bharati Station to NRSC in Hyderabad for processing the images once the project starts functioning.

In 2007, ECIL also established the communication link between Maitri, the second Indian research station in Antarctica and National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR). Among others, research on tectonics and geological structures would be undertaken at Bharati Station by Indian scientists.[8] India also became the first nation to use the shipping containers as integral part of construction and hence constructing its base in record time and money.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Antarctic Facilities". COMNAP. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  2. Abhai Mishra & Bhagwati Prasad. "Inauguration of India's new Antarctic Station 'Bharati'". Stamps of India. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  3. Paul Fernandes (26 June 2012). "India's station in Antarctic operational". Times Of India. Delhi, India. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  4. "Third Antarctica research station by 2011". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 20 February 2009.
  5. "Bharti to be 3rd Indian station in Antarctica", The Times of India, 6 August 2009
  6. "Budget boost for gas hydrates, polar sciences research". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 16 February 2009. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
  7. Activities at Maitri & Bharati
  8. Mallikarjun, Y. (2 May 2012). "State of the art Bharati station to come up soon". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  9. Gendall, John (6 January 2020). "The Coolest Architecture on Earth Is in Antarctica". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
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