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Indians can reach South Pole soon through a crevasse-free path

Indian scientists will soon reach the South Pole due to the efforts of the Indian Antarctic Expedition team which managed to find a crevasse-free path from the existing scientific station Maitri in Antarctica.

The Indian team of the 18th and 19th Antarctica expeditions explored a crevasse-free route to the Polar Plateau from the Indian station Maitri, thus opening a way for Indians to reach South Pole, according to Dr Ajay Dhar, leader and Station Commander of the 18th Antarctic Expedition.

Dhar, a senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism in Bombay, said India has been planning a trip to South Pole over the last few years. The South Pole is roughly 2200 km away from Maitri.

Dhar had been stationed in Antarctica since December 1998 and returned recently. He said the expedition successfully reached the Polar Plateau with the help of vehicles and this effort could help in realising the goal of reaching South Pole.

Though people from many countries have reached South Pole through different routes, only the Americans have a permanent scientific station there, called Amundsen Scott Station.

The location of Maitri is 70 deg 45 min South, 11 deg 45 min East and people have traversed through the zero degree meridian to reach South Pole. "Indians want to reach there through 11 deg East meridian," Dhar said.

The IIG scientists of the 19th team conducted an experiment to measure the electrical field generated 5 metres above the ground. This is expected to help in predicting meteorological conditions during different weather conditions.

Dhar said they also undertook an environmental clearing project during December 1999 though it was earlier considered a near impossible task. "We could achieve it without disturbing the flora and fauna," the scientist said.

The environment of Maitri and its surrounding has to be maintained as per the Environmental Protocol of Antarctic Treaty. According to this treaty, all the Antarctic stations can be visited and inspected by Treaty members.

Maitri and its surroundings were inspected by a Swedish team in 1993-94 and by a Norwegian team in 1995-96.

In the environmental clearing drive, an area of six kilometres around Maitri was covered. Four container loads of scrap, garbage and empty fuel drums blown during blizzards were collected. Most of the scrap and garbage gets scattered all around during high winds and blizzards in the icy continent.

The 18th expedition faced very harsh weather and high speed winds (up to 125 knots), causing widespread damage to installations and antennas around the station and adjoining stations, Dhar added.

The 20th Expedition to Antarctica will leave India by December, Dhar said.

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