India has recently received the financial green light for Maitri II, which will become the country's fourth and most modern research station in Antarctica. This ambitious project marks the next major chapter in India's three-decade-long presence on the continent.

1. Key Facts and Purpose

• Status: Financial approval granted by the Finance Ministry.

• Cost: The estimated cost for the project is around ₹2,000 to ₹2,150 crore (approximately $240 - $260 million USD).

• Timeline: The station is expected to be operational by January 2029.

• Location: It will be established near the existing Maitri base in the Schirmacher Oasis region of East Antarctica (Queen Maud Land).

• Nodal Agency: The project is overseen by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

• Primary Goal: To replace the aging Maitri station (commissioned in 1989), which has surpassed its original 10-year design life and faced issues with waste management. The old Maitri station will likely be retained as a "summer camp."

2. Advanced and Sustainable Features

Maitri II is being designed as a truly "green research base" with a focus on sustainability and advanced technology:

• Capacity: It will be India's largest polar facility, designed to house up to 140 scientists and technical staff during the summer months and around 40 personnel during the extreme winter.

• Renewable Energy: The design includes plans to use renewable energy sources, primarily solar power for summer operations and wind energy to harness the continent's strong winds.

• Advanced Technology: The station will deploy automated instruments capable of recording and relaying scientific data back to mainland India even when the base is temporarily unmanned.

• Upgraded Infrastructure: The new facility will feature high-insulation technology, improved living and working conditions, and state-of-the-art waste management systems to ensure compliance with the strict environmental protocols of the Antarctic Treaty System.

• Lifespan: The goal is to build a modern facility that is robust enough to last for 30 to 45 years.

3. India's Antarctic Presence

The Maitri II station will solidify India's long-term commitment to scientific research in Antarctica, reinforcing its position as a consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty.

4. The Construction Challenge

The construction of Maitri II is an extremely complex, multi-year project:

• Summer Window: All major construction work is limited to the brief three-month Antarctic summer window (October to March).

• Logistics: Materials must be prefabricated in India, shipped to Cape Town (South Africa), and then transported via sea and existing road routes across the ice to the construction site in the Schirmacher Hills.

• Clearance: The project must complete a comprehensive Environmental Evaluation and receive final clearance from the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which is a mandatory step under international protocol.