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RAJYA SABHA
India is planning to set up its third station in Antarctica. The location of the new site as proposed after preliminary survey carried out during XXIII Indian Antarctic Expedition in early 2004 is near latitude 69„a South and longitude 76„a East. The department is still in the initial stages of survey of the selected site, which is required to be assessed for environmental parameters as mandated under the Environmental Protocol of the Antarctic Treaty, and also for logistics and scientific considerations. So, the estimated cost cannot be worked out at this stage.
The expenditure for the maintenance and upkeep of research stations in Antarctica from 1983-84 to 2003-04 is Rs. 75.00 crores and the present annual expenditure is about Rs. 4.00 crores.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Science & Technology and Ocean Development, Shri Kapil Sibal in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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