MADURAI, January 26, 2011
Updated: January 26, 2011 00:03 IST
Shastry V. Mallady
Naba K.Mondal
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have formed a national level apex committee to monitor the progress of Rs.1,200-crore India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) being established in Theni district.
Only the Union Cabinet approval is pending for this major science project. The collaborators are now focussing on ‘pre-project activities' for starting the construction works at Bodi West Hills in Pottipuram panchayat in Theni district.
Naba K. Mondal, Chief Spokesperson, INO Project, told The Hindu here on Tuesday that the land transfer (26 hectares) for the underground project was “in process and there is sound support from the Tamil Nadu government.”
A meeting of collaborators was held in Madurai on January 24 and 25 with participation of researchers and scientists from 25 leading institutions including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
“We have already got environmental/ forest clearances for the project. After the Atomic Energy Commission meets in February on this project, the process can be speeded up. We expect to commence the works at the INO site in six months time,” he informed.
Project preparation
The status report on project preparation is being given to the DAE-DST apex committee from time to time and currently the specific tasks to be assigned to each institution are being deliberated.
According to him, there are various levels of monitoring going on for implementing the INO Project in Theni district. Different industrial houses, including those in the private sector, will be involved for assembly line production.
Also, the possibility of taking the expertise of a few international teams for the country's first ever neutrino observatory project is being explored, Dr. Mondal who represents TIFR, Mumbai, has said.
Scientists from European nations, Japan and the U.S. may be involved.
The INO Project Chief Spokesperson has exuded confidence that India would be able to successfully complete the project since “the levels of enthusiasm shown by our scientists is abundant and they are excited.”
Completion of the project is expected in five to six years from now.
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Chennai, Guwahati, Mumbai and Indore are also involved with each institution taking up a sphere of activity like simulation, electronics design and development.
A team from the INO Project will meet the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and others after the process of land transfer is completed to thank them for their support in science development. The project is funded by the DAE and DST.
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MADURAI, August 30, 2012
Updated: August 30, 2012 11:38 IST
INO: Madurai to be nodal centre
Shastry V. Mallady
Construction of Rs. 1,300-crore underground observatory in Theni district will start next year
An action plan is ready to establish a major research laboratory in Madurai for detector development meant for the ambitious Rs.1,300-crore India-based Neutrino Observatory(INO) project coming up in Theni district.
The Research and Development lab in Madurai will be a national facility that would be the nodal centre for the underground INO project.
“For all the neutrino experiments and research activities, the Madurai laboratory would be the nerve centre. All activities for INO project which is being set up along Bodi West Hills in Theni district will be coordinated through the Madurai nodal centre,” M. V. N. Murthy, a senior faculty at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, has said.
Talking to The Hindu here on Wednesday, he said that since all statutory clearances have been obtained for the INO project, the construction works at the site will begin sometime next year.
Pre-project works on
“Pre-project works are going on and lot of scientific/simulation meetings are taking place among the collaborators. The INO will turn out to be the largest basic science project in India and it would be a giant leap for us in the field of physics,” Prof. Murthy said. Construction works and installation of a huge detector/magnet will be completed in five years.
The major funding agencies for the Rs.1,300-crore INO project are the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and Technology of Government of India.
While the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is the host institution for this project, totally there are 26 leading research institutions involved in this major project. The Institute of Mathematical Sciences at Chennai too is one among the collaborators offering its theoretical expertise in the field.
Madurai centre
The nodal centre of the INO at Madurai would come up near Madurai Kamaraj University at Vadapalanji and it will be shaped up as a major centre for high energy physics to play a nodal role with collaborators, scientists and detector development.
Prof. Murthy said that 13.5 hectares of land was sought for setting up the Centre for High Energy Physics here and “we are in the process of completing the formalities to take possession of the land from the district administration.”
He was here to attend a lecture workshop on the latest discovery of God particle-Higgs boson-organised jointly by various science academies at American College.
“This discovery is a big push for us to focus on neutrinos and dark matter.
There is still so much to understand about our universe and INO is set to take Madurai into the national frontiers,” he expressed confidence.
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