Maitri
| Maitri | |
|---|---|
| Research Station | |
  Maitri | |
| Coordinates: 70°46′00″S 11°43′56″E / 70.76667°S 11.73222°ECoordinates: 70°46′00″S 11°43′56″E / 70.76667°S 11.73222°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| Government | |
| • Type | Polar Research Organisation |
| • Body | Indian Antarctic Programme |
Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica. It was built and finished in 1989, shortly before the first station Dakshin Gangotri was buried in ice and abandoned in 1990–91.[1] Maitri is situated on the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis.It is only 5 km away from Russian Novolazarevskaya Station.
Facilities
The station has modern facilities to carry out research in various disciplines, such as biology, earth sciences, glaciology, atmospheric sciences, meteorology, cold region engineering, communication, human physiology and medicine. It has a capacity to accommodate 25 people for winter. Fresh water is provided through a fresh water lake named Lake Priyadarshini, in front of Maitri.
Milestones
India's commitment to polar science can be summarised by the following milestones:
On 19 August 1983 India was admitted to the Antarctic Treaty and thereafter obtained Consultative Status. In the same year The permanent station Dakshin Gangotri was built, where the first Wintering was conducted. Soon on 1 October 1984, India was admitted as a member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). 2 years later India became a member of Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Between 1988–1989 India built its second indigenous station ‘Maitri’. In 1997 India ratified the Environment Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty, thus committing to the preservation of Antarctica. India completed its first 25 years in Antarctica and launched an expedition in December 2005 called the Silver Jubilee Indian Antarctic Expedition. Later progressingly, India, in the year 2010: launched a new scientific expedition to South Pole – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11670634India's new research station Bharathi will be scheduled to operational by mid-2012.
Expeditions
The chapter of the Indian Antarctic Programme started in December 1981 when the first Indian Expedition set off for Antarctica from Goa. It was led by S.Z. Qasim. Subsequently, annual Antarctic expeditions have been sent through the Department of Ocean Development and the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research. So far, thirty two such expeditions have been launched, including one to the Weddell Sea; one of these was a krill expedition to the southern ocean.
See also
- Indian Antarctic Programme
- Dakshin Gangotri
References
External links
- National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of Government of India
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