BALASORE: The Balasore district administration has decided to shift about 3,010 residents, residing in proximity to the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea, temporarily for a day prior to the test of a nuclear-capable missile, reportedly scheduled on November 12.
At the meeting chaired by District Collector Alekh Chandra Padhiary yesterday, it has been decided that the people would be shifted from 8 am to 12 noon and for that they will be properly compensated. The missile will be test-fired between 9 am and 11 am.
Sources said, as part of precautionary measures people from the villages that fall in the 2-km radius area of the ITR will be evacuated and taken to safer places. The villages included Kusumuli Pahi, Khadupahi, Bhimpur Pahi, Jaydeb Kasaba Pahi and Sahazanagar Pahi. “As per the requirement of the defence authorities here we have chalked out the plan and accordingly the villagers have been intimated. The tentative date of the missile test has been fixed on November 12,” the Collector added.
As per the provisions, each person above the age of 12 will be compensated with Rs 165 and below that age Rs 95 each. Defence sources said, India is planning to test fire nuke-capable 700-km range K-15 missile on that day from the launching complex-3 (LC-3) of the shore-based ITR.
”Although designed for launch from a submarine, the missile will be this time test-fired from a land-based launcher. During the test the scientists will check speed, trajectory, azimuth and other parameters of the missile set for the mission,” the source added. The slender K-15 which has a length of around 11.5 metre, can carry a payload of up to one tonne.