Tamil Nadu   

‘Assess neutrino project in a fair manner’

Udhagamandalam: The proposed India Neutrino Observatory at Masinagudy near Mudumalai Tiger Reserve cannot be dismissed perfunctorily on environmental grounds.

Expressing this view in a statement issued here on Friday, the Director, Nilgiri Documentation Centre, Dharmalingam Venugopal, opined that it should be assessed in a scientific and fair manner.

Pointing out that the prestigious project had been conceived and propagated in a transparent manner, he contended that the arguments against such scientific projects of national importance should also stand scientific scrutiny.

Wildlife considerations, in particular the Tiger preservation, cannot override all other national considerations and priorities, he said and pointed out that the Nilgiris had always readily played host to prestigious scientific projects in different fields.

Adverting to the concern expressed over the threat from tunnelling, he opined, “it is high time we realised the geological strengths and weaknesses of the district and learn to exploit them properly in order to truly preserve the Nilgiris.”

Scientists had repeatedly pointed out that it was only the surface soil cover of the district that had been rendered weak owing to various human interventions over the decades and that the underlying rock structure was ancient and stable.

Quoting from the information note on International Mountain Day 2007, the focus of which was Climate Change and Mountains, he said, travellers using vital communication corridors may face frequent natural hazards, including rock fall and landslides resulting from increasing slope instability.

It was for this reason that geologists had long suggested a tunnel from Burliar to Coonoor to cope with the future increase in traffic.

The district may require more such tunnels in the future.

He recalled that a tunnel built as part of the Kundah project in the 1960s was the longest in India then.

It should also be remembered that the Nilgiri Mountain Railway had not suffered any tunnel collapse in its 100-odd years of existence.

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