India to start building new Antarctia base in Jan

India will begin construction of its third research station in Antarctica in January next and the facility is expected to be up and running within two years.

India will begin construction of its third research station in Antarctica in January next and the facility is expected to be up and running within two years.

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"The actual construction will begin in January next year when the summer season begins in Antarctica," Secretary, Earth Sciences, Shailesh Nayak told PTI.

He said construction of roads and huts for the station at Larsemann Hills region would be taken up during the summer season, which lasts for about 90 days.

Scientists believe that Larsemann Hills region broke away from the Indian peninsula about 120 million years ago and drifted to its current place after the break up of the Gondwanaland continent. This makes its study crucial.

Scientists have finalised the conceptual design for their perch in the icy continent, which had received a nod from the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) two years back.

The ATCM, formed as per the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, is the final authority on matters related to the icy continent.

The site is located on the ice-free rock stretch of Larsemann Hills, around Prydz Bay. It has moderate climate as compared to Maitri though strong winds blow from east to southeast during summer.

Daytime air temperatures from December to February at times exceed 4 degrees Celsius, with the mean monthly temperature being a little above zero degrees.