India's 40th Scientific expedition to Antarctica launched
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New Delhi, Jan 6: Government of India has launched the 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica on Jan 5. The Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) has launched the expedition, marking four decades of the country's scientific venture, all the way to the South pole. The expedition was set out with 43 members on board from Goa. The focus of the expedition is to support the ongoing projects on climate change, geology, ocean observations, electric and magnetic flux movements, environmental monitoring, resupplying of food, fuel, provisions and spare and accomplishing the return of the winter crew.
According to MoES, the chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin has been set for the journey and is expected to reach Antarctica in 30 days. After leaving behind the team of around 40 members to the southern continent, the ship will return back to India in April 2021. The vessel will return back with the Winter team of the preceding trip. The preceding 39th Indian Scientific Expedition to the white continent was launched in Nov 2019 and returned back in May 2020.
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The Ministry has said, "India is committed to maintain the continent of Antarctica free of COVID 19. The expedition will duly follow all protocols for the deployment of men and material as per the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (CoMNAP). Extra precautions of sanitizing the cargo, mandatory fourteen days of quarantine (pre and post expedition), and RT-PCR testing before boarding the ice-class vessel is also being conducted.
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The Indian scientific expedition to Antarctica began in 1981. The Indian Antarctic program was launched in 1981 after India signed the Antarctic treaty. The Treaty was signed in 1961. Currently there are 54 signatories to the Treaty. It is an Arms Control Treaty signed during Cold War. The first Indian team that visited Antarctica comprised of 21 scientists and support staff led by Dr SZ Qasim.
India later built three Research base stations in the continent; Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri and Bharti. Out of these, only the latter two are operational today for research. Dakshin Gangotri was the first permanent settlement of India built in 1983. It was excavated in 1989 and is being used as supply base and transit camp.
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Maitri was the second permanent settlement of India in Antarctica. The station is located close to Lake Priyadarshini. It accomplished the mission of geomorphological mapping of Schirmacher Oasis. Bharti was established recently in 2015. It will collect evidence of Continental break up to reveal the 120-million-year-old Ancient History of Indian subcontinent. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa manages the Indian research base stations in Antarctica.